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OK, who had the bright idea of putting SF Beer Week and the Super Bowl in the same weekend? Actually, it’s not a bright idea, it’s BRILLIANT! But, hey, there are lots of ways to enjoy the weekend that don’t involve beer, football, Puppy Bowls or endless debates over whether Tom Brady is the son of Satan or the American hero we need right now. So here are seven ways to savor the SF Bay Area and beyond.
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Now onto the weekend fun.
1 CELEBRATE: It’s SF Beer Week!
The annual event kicks off Friday, Feb. 1, for 10 days and 800 activities devoted to all things hoppy. (A San Francisco “week” that lasts 10 days and extends beyond the city? Just go with it. There’s beer.) Here’s a heady lineup of events chosen by 12 Bay Area brewers, plus the lowdown on Humphry Slocombe’s Beer Week-inspired ice cream. Anchor Porter with fluff and cookies? Yes, please!
2 WATCH: A ‘Mad Max’ ballet — we kid you not
Clear the floor, elegant swans and sugar plum fairies, here comes “Fury,” a multimedia rock ballet inspired by the classic George Miller dystopian sci-fi films. It’s in S.F. for a weekend run and here’s what you need to know. Meanwhile, there are A LOT of dance events this weekend. Here are three performances you should know about, from classic Balanchine to modern dance responding to today’s racial landscape. And the Bay Area Flamenco Festival is back, featuring a famed mother-daughter team from Spain.
3 PARTY: Super Bowl bashes
Sure, you could watch the Patriots and Rams kick off at home. Or you could head for one of these 19 Bay Area Super Bowl parties — at Gott’s, Plank, Flights and more — where the screens are huge, the brewskis cold and the chicken wings hotter than hot.
4 SEE: A film fest for people who REALLY love films
The S.F. Independent Film Fest is back, with scores of shorts and feature films you just won’t see anywhere else, from Sam Elliott trying to kill Bigfoot to a documentary about a tumultuous time in the Napa wine region. We have deets and picks for the festival here. Meanwhile, Netflix is dropping a buzz-generating dark comedy/thriller about snooty art dealers unleashing a wave of terror. Your weekend movie options are here.
5 HEAR: A criminally underrated guitar god
Do you know who Richard Thompson is? There are many music fans around the world who site him as one of the best guitarists going, but a lot of folks have never heard of the guy. He’s at the Fillmore in S.F. this weekend and here’s what you need to know. Meanwhile, there are lots of intriguing live music options for you this weekend, from Memphis soul legend Booker T. Jones to hip-hop star A$AP Rocky. Here’s a rundown.
6 PLAY: National Parks post-shutdown
Heading to Yosemite, Alcatraz or another National Park this weekend? Alcatraz Cruises has just resumed its behind-the-scenes and night tours. And Yosemite is reopening the Mariposa Grove and other portions of the park. Here’s what’s open now.
7 SEE: A famous play about lizards and relationship advice
Edward Albee is one of America’s most revered playwrights, and new American Conservatory Theater artistic chief Pam MacKinnon is one of Albee’s favorite stage directors. So for McKinnon’s first directed play at ACT, it’s no surprise she’s mounting an Albee classic — the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Seascape,” which really does include two big lizards as characters. (You didn’t think we made that up, did you?) Here are the deets on the production.
