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The rain is a distant memory (for now) but many around these parts are getting ready for the ice — as in the big NHL All-Star Game in San Jose. But there’s plenty of ways to have fun around these parts whether you’re a hockey fan or not. Here are seven great ways to spend this weekend in the S.F. Bay Area and beyond, from watching Richard Nixon (well, a fake Richard Nixon) duke it out with a perky TV host to a host of mouthwatering culinary adventures involving chicken (mmm …. chicken).
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Now, onto the fun stuff
1 SEE: Flying pucks, and a feisty pop star
This weekend brings the NHL All-Star Hockey Game to San Jose’s SAP Center with plenty of hoopla and fun stuff to do, including a fan fair Thursday through Sunday, a between-periods performance by singer Bebe Rexha (you know, the one who ripped fashion designers a new one for refusing to fit her for the Grammys because she’s “too big”) and, of course, plenty of icy action. Here’s everything you need to know about it.
2 WATCH: A disgraced president duke it out with a talk-show host
Speaking of South Bay excitement, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is staging “Frost/Nixon,” a gripping stage drama drawn from the infamous 1977 series of TV interviews between British talk-show host David Frost and Richard Nixon, three years after he had been flushed from the White House by the Watergate scandal. The play seems more timely than ever. Here’s our review and deets on the production.
3. HEAR: Le hot jazz, or a budding pop superstar
The nimble, bouncy and irresistible guitar licks of Django Reinhardt are still worshipped by musicians and music fans nearly more than 60 years after his passing. This weekend, Berkeley hosts the annual Django Reinhardt Birthday Festival, and it’s chock full of infectious music and joyous talent. We’ve got the details here. If you have a hankering for something more contemporary, how about getting your weekend started early with one of the buzziest indie-rock singer-songwriters going? Go here for details.
4 EAT: Fried chicken, chicken and more chicken
If you’re in the mood for poultry-centric deliciousness this weekend, we’ve got suggestions, from a new chicken pot-pie shop in Walnut Creek to DIY chicken wings — including the crazy-good ones from San Jose’s District and Hayward’s Playt. And if you just want to dish on the Best. Fried. Chicken. Ever. We’re taking nominations.
5 SEE: Don Quixote in ballet tights?
Well, no, not exactly. But San Francisco Ballet this weekend kicks off its 2019 campaign with a revival of its wildly popular adaptation of the classic “Don Quixote,” with its lavish sets and costumes and stunning choreography. Details are here.
6 SIP: Cabstravaganza
You already know we’re helpless to resist anything with a name like Lumpiapalooza or Bacon-a-thon. So of course we’re going all out for Charles R Vineyards’ Cabstravaganza. The Livermore winery is celebrating all things cabernet sauvignon on Saturday and you, too, can join the sipping fun for a measly 10 bucks. Details are here.
7 HEAR: A distinctly American music fest
The annual PIVOT concert series at San Francisco Performances always books interesting and thought-provoking shows. This year, the event takes stock of the American political landscape, with the gloriously talented Paul West covering Bob Dylan and acclaimed singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane performing music inspired by train passengers talking about Donald Trump. We’re not kidding. Learn more about the series here.