Whether you’re hankering for some holiday dance performances or would rather laugh at the end of the world or hit a pop-up holiday bar, this weekend has just what you need. So let’s get to it, shall we?
(As always, be sure to double check event and venue websites for any last-minute changes in health guidelines or other details.)
Meanwhile, if you’d like to have this Weekender lineup delivered to your inbox every Thursday morning for free, just sign up at www.mercurynews.com/newsletters or www.eastbaytimes.com/newsletters.
1 SEE & HEAR: Holiday dances are here
From the classic “Nutcracker” to such Bay Area favorites as “The Velveteen Rabbit,” holiday dance productions are back on Bay Area stages. Here’s a rundown.
2 SIP & SNACK: Have a proper tea
It might sound like an ancient custom relegated to the stuffiest of Anglophiles, but afternoon teas are very much a contemporary thing, thanks in part to famous practitioners like the TikTok star, Queen of Afternoon Tea. You can read all about her and find out where to enjoy a cup in the Bay Area, right here.
Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey star in “Queer,” a romantic drama based on a William S. Burroughs novella. (A24 Films)
3 WATCH: Daniel Craig like you’ve never seen him.
If you’re used to the talented British actor as a brooding James Bond or quirky Benoit Blanc from “Knives Out” films, Craig will leave you stunned and impressed in his latest film, “Queer,” directed by Luca Guadagnino (“Challengers”) and opening this weekend. Here’s our review.
4 SIP & PLAY: Pop-up holiday bars
Thanks to popular pop-up brands like Miracle and Sippin’ Santa, holiday-themed drinking establishments are, um, popping up all over. Here’s where to find them. Meanwhile, Northern California wineries are getting into the act as well, with a variety of holiday-themed specials and events.
4 SEE & HEAR: A most Dandy rock band
The Dandy Warhols have been putting out high quality, if a little quirky, rock music for 30 years. If you haven’t seen them — and if you are a fan of well-played rock music, you should — you can rectify that this weekend. Meanwhile, here’s our chat with the Warhols’ excellent guitarist Peter Holmstrom.
A black cat has to rely on its instincts and the friendship of other critters in the aftermath of a flood in the animated marvel, “Flow.” (Janus Films)
5 WATCH: A clever kitty and a hate-group thriller
“Flow,” an animated film about a cat navigating a flood, and “The Order,” with Jude Law taking on a white supremacist group, could not be more different. But both are excellent, and top our roundup of what to watch this weekend.
6 SEE & HEAR: Sherlock Holmes meets Charles Dickens
San Jose Stage’s comedic holiday show merges an iconic detective and a classic Christmas story. To which we say: why the heck not?
7 WATCH: Reimagining the dawn of the 21st century
Remember when the year 2000 approached, and it seemed everyone was ready for all heck to break loose? Of course, nothing happened. But the crazy new film comedy “Y2K” gives us the disaster we were all pining for.
