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It’s time for another glorious weekend with a spellbinding array of options awaiting us. So here are seven ways to enjoy yourselves in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, from pop music superstars to a lumpia fest, a dog-friendly brew fest or Melissa McCarthy like you’ve never seen her.
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Now on the fun stuff.
1 HEAR: A hip-hop star or a rock legend
As a hip-hop vocalist, actor and sometimes Warriors fan, Drake is all kinds of awesome (unless he’s doing a diss song about you). And speaking of the Warriors, Drake will be in their house — aka the Oracle Arena — for three shows kicking off this weekend. Details are here. And if you’re willing to get the weekend off to an early start tonight, Oct. 25 (Because. You. Can.) know that rocker Phil Collins (once one of the sickest drummers on Earth, doncha know) brings his amazing catalogue of solo and Genesis songs to the Oracle.
2 EAT: Lumpia-Palooza!
San Francisco’s SoMa StrEat Food Park is at it again with another inspired food fest, this time to celebrate Filipino-American History Month — and eat a whole lot of delicious lumpia, in all their flaky, stuffed glory. Expect lumpia food carts, a lumpia-rolling demo and a lumpia-eating contest, plus beer, sangria and tunes. Find the deets here.
3 SEE: A joyous and moving show about … haircuts
Playwright Inua Ellams created the global stage phenomenon “Barber Shop Chronicles” by dropping in at haircut joints around the globe and taking in what black men had to say about their lives and the world. The result is a widely acclaimed show that arrives this weekend in Berkeley, then plays Nov. 8-10 at Stanford. Get the deets here.
4 SIP & PLAY: Bark and Brew, too
Why should Halloween fun be restricted to humans? Grab your boo and Fido, too, and head for Oakland’s Jack London Square on Saturday for the Boo! Bark Brew Bites fest, complete with tricks, treats, frights and delights. And, of course, beer. Costumes encouraged for you and your pup.
5 WATCH: Melissa McCarthy kill it as a literary fraud
Comedian Melissa McCarthy tones down her usual over-the-top antics to play a real-life literary con-artist in “Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” one of several promising new flicks landing in theaters or streaming services this weekend. We’ve got a rundown here.
6 PLAY: Thrills and chills
Halloween isn’t till Wednesday, but there’s still time to fit a haunted house or six into your weekend. May we suggest… the Terror Vault? San Francisco’s Mayhem Mansion? Or Richmond’s — shudder —Nite Terrors Lab 5? (We can only imagine what labs one through four looked like…)
7 SWIM: With the (really, really, old) fishes
Blending live actors, multimedia, technology, puppets and more, “Erth’s Prehistoric Aquarium Adventure” is a family-friendly adventure show that takes you to the bottom of a prehistoric ocean for a combination science lesson and breathtaking adventure. (And if you happen to see a Titleist 3 down there, could you let us know?). The touring show comes to San Jose this weekend, and the details are here.
