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First of all, if you’re among those who have been celebrating the July 4th weekend since sometime last week, well, congratulations. The rest of us need to catch up. So here are seven ways to have a blast this weekend, from Independence Day fun and out-of-this-universe ice cream to dancing around the world.
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1 WATCH: A truly global explosion of dance
The annual Ethnic Dance Festival is one of the real gems of the summer arts season, a chance to see performances probably unlike anything you’ve seen before. This year’s fest takes place this weekend and next in Berkeley, with more than two dozen companies representing a dizzying array of dances, music and costumes. Here’s what you need to know.
2 EAT: Extreme ice cream
Soft-serve stuffed brioche doughnuts, star-spangled churros and puffle cones? We’re talking ice cream — and we have seven fab new Bay Area spots to get some incredible treats.
3 CELEBRATE: Independence Day
We know, you meant to make your July 4th plans already, but you started binge-watching “Stranger Things” and fell into a whole Wynona Ryder career retrospective thing and now the actual holiday is here and you have no clue what to do. Completely understandable. And don’t sweat it — here’s a roundup of what’s going on around the Bay Area and some tips on where to get a great view of the fireworks.
4 CATCH: Some terrific outdoor theater
Woodminster Summer Musicals has been putting on entertaining productions in the Oakland Hills for more than 50 years, and its new season arrives this weekend with the Disney show “Newsies.” Here’s what you need to know. Meanwhile, the Bay Area’s outdoor theater season is in full swing. Cal Shakes kicks off a new show this weekend, and there’s stuff to catch from Napa and Sonoma to Santa Cruz. Here’s a rundown on what’s playing where. And, remember, folks, dress in layers in case Karl the Fog decides to show up.
5 SIP: Very cold brews
There’s iced coffee and then there’s OMG espresso-tonics, iced lavender lattes and high-octane minty sips. The Bay Area’s coffee houses are going all in on the topic of chilly brews. Here are seven of our favorite iced espresso drinks to keep you cool.
6 SWOON: Over the moon
Head to the Exploratorium in San Francisco if you want to get a jump on the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Apollo 11 moon landing. They have, among other things, a large moon sculpture that uses NASA imagery to get the lunar surface just right. Here are details on that and other Bay Area lunar celebrations in the offing.
7 PLAY: Splashy Tahoe
If you’re heading to the mountains for some summer frolic, you’ll want to get splashy. Here are our eight favorite Tahoe beaches for swimming, SUP-ing and general fun.
