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We have a wonderfully long Thanksgiving weekend stretching out ahead of us — and visions of leftover pie (for Friday’s breakfast!) dancing through our heads. So here are seven fab ways to play this weekend, from holiday ice rinks — including one with bumper cars! — to cocktail pop-ups, some amazing music and dazzling Indian jewels. (And if it’s too rainy or still too smoky to go out, we’ve also got ideas for indoor weekend fun.)
1 SEE: Heartwarming holiday schmaltz
Don’t pretend for a moment that a possibly rainy/overcast Thanksgiving weekend doesn’t put you in the mood for a five-hanky hokey holiday rom-com or three. Fortunately they are everywhere these days. The Hallmark and Lifetime channels are showing them practically non-stop. Meanwhile, Netflix is dropping two new holiday treats, “The Princess Switch,” starring Vanessa Hudgens, and “Christmas Chronicles” with Kurt Russell as St. Nick (no, he doesn’t wear an eye patch). Details on these and other new movie releases are here, and Chuck Barney’s roundup of holiday TV shows is here. And if you want to get a jump on the Oscar race (otherwise known as the holiday film season), go here.
2 EAT: 68 extraordinary bites
Michelin’s starry roster of over-the-top restaurants is always fun to browse, but it’s the Bib Gourmands that float our bateau. They’re given to restaurants that are both extraordinary and, at $40 for a two-course dinner and wine, relatively affordable. Some 68 Bay Area restaurants earned the designation this week include eight fab newcomers — San Jose’s Luna Mexican Kitchen and Oakland’s Dyafa among them. Hello, date night!
3 HEAR: 2 ridiculously good bands at the same concert
Here is a concert double bill that should shake you loose from the turkey tryptophans and put a charge into your weekend. Los Lobos, frequently billed as the best live band going, is teaming with the legendary L.A. punk band X for two shows at one of San Francisco’s most famous music halls. Catch the details — and X founder John Doe’s list of best punk albums ever — here. Or if you are a fan of the bouncy, nimbled-fingered gypsy jazz made famous by Django Reinhardt, one of the genre’s best musicians in the entire world is in San Francisco this weekend. Here is where you can see him.
4 SIP: Cocktail pop-ups
Helloooo, Sippin’ Santa, cranberry Negronis and Partridge in a Pear Tree (with booze)! Three holiday cocktail pop-ups are popping up this weekend in San Jose and San Francisco — and two of them will be serving up tiki holiday drinks. We can practically taste those Kris Kringle Coladas now.
5 SEE: Some of the most beautiful bling ever made
Diamonds, jewels, pearls and other dazzling eye candy awaits you — along with some seriously fascinating history — at “Jewels of the Maharajas,” a new exhibit at San Francisco’s Legion of Honor Museum that features the sparkling riches that defined power and prestige in 16th-20th century India. More on the exhibit is here.
6 PLAY: Rinks & drinks
Holiday ice rinks are opening across the Bay Area, from the twinkle-lit Embarcadero to San Jose’s palm tree-lined plaza. Whether you’re channeling your inner Kristi Yamaguchi or just want to hang rinkside with a cup of decadent hot chocolate, we’ve got the rundown on great spots for both — seven great rinks with hot drinks in San Francisco, Tahoe and beyond. And our list of 10 Bay Area holiday rinks includes a San Mateo rink with bumper cars. On. The. Ice.
7 PLAY: Apres-ski in Silicon Valley?
It’s snowing in Palo Alto! The Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley is launching a pop-up Apres lounge on Friday, complete with fondue, signature s’mores, wintry cocktails and fireside movies — and snow flurries. No skis necessary.
