Whether you are tying one on or sleeping one off — or somewhere in between — we are here for you with a special early edition of The Weekender full of cool ideas for shows and movies to watch and places to have fun this holiday weekend. 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. WATCH: The best film of 2024?
Colson Whitehead’s novel about two young boys surviving a brutal reform school has been adapted into perhaps the year’s best movie — and it hits Bay Area theaters this week.
2. PLAY: Greet a new year with new fun
Oakland entrepreneur Shonda Scott says she kick-started her life with a practice she has since branded as the 12 New Things Initiative — which essentially means trying one new thing a month. Interested? We have some fun ideas along those lines.
3. DINE: Visit the Restaurant of the Year
Esquire recently named Four Kings in S.F.’s Chinatown as America’s best new restaurant for 2024. So naturally we had to check it out.
4. HEAR: Great songs from local musicians
It’s been a heck of a year for great music released by Bay Area jazz and roots musicians; here are some of our favorites.
5. WATCH: A ‘Count’ that measures up
“The Count of Monte Crisco” is a literary classic that has spawned a wide variety of film and TV adaptations — this new one may be the best yet.
6. PLAY & SIP: Visit a comeback community
Coffey Park in Santa Rosa was ravaged by the 2017 Tubbs Fire, with some 1,400 homes and businesses lost to the flames. But the community is back now and totally worth a visit — especially if you are fond of breweries.
7. WATCH: The best TV shows of the year
In what was a pretty exceptional year for television, these were the shows that stood out.