Bay Area Summertime Happenings: 5 awesome things to do the last weekend of July

Bay Area Summertime Happenings: 5 awesome things to do the last weekend of JulyFree Shakespeare in the Park in Cupertino (Photo: San Francisco Shakespeare Festival/Facebook)
Laila Weir
Published on July 28, 2022

For Hoodline's Bay Area Summertime Happenings, the weekend starts on Thursday and ends on Monday this week. Hey, we deserve it, right? We've got a selection of recommendations to get you out of the house, from the cultural to the culinary. 

The Santa Clara County Fair back this weekend, but it's forgoing the carvival and food portions of the event and focusing just on livestock this year in an apparent concession to the pandemic, so it didn't make our list. Instead, we're all about theater in the South Bay this weekend. (It's still worth checking out the animals at the fair, though, to fill your freezer with high-quality local-raised meat or to entertain the kids.) For the San Francisco/East Bay crowd, we've got ice cream and art to keep you busy, plus some cocktails to round out your week. Enjoy!

(Want to submit an event to Summertime Happenings? Fill out the form at hoodline.com/tips/.)

Ice Cream Social: Cultural Infusion at KQED in San Francisco

Ok, this one is technically tonight, Thursday; not the weekend per se. But we all know that the weekend really kicks off on Thursday evening, and what better way to jumpstart a summer weekend than with an ice cream tasting? With a San Francisco twist, of course.

KQED is hosting a very intriguing event tonight, in which guests are invited to taste local, small-batch ice cream made by Bad Walters, Koolfi, and De La Creamery, as Check, Please! Bay Area Producer Cecilia Phillips talks with the ice cream makers about how they infuse their own cultural backgrounds into their flavors. Entrance is $20; register at the link below.

When: Thursday, July 28, 7 p.m.
Where: The Commons, KQED Headquarters 2601 Mariposa Street, San Francisco
Information: www.kqed.org/event/2364

 

Free Shakespeare in the Park: Much Ado About Nothing in Cupertino

This summer marks the 40th Anniversary of Free Shakespeare in the Park, a fabulous area tradition, with the crowd-pleasing romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing. The season opens in Cupertino this Saturday, followed by several more performances there before moving to Redwood City in mid-August and San Francisco in September. Shows are approximately 90 minutes long, with no intermission.

As the name says, performances free and open to all. Just arrive early to get a great spot. There's little shade in the park, so check the weather and come prepared. Don't take shade structures or anything that might block visibility, but lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged. And if you arrive late, don't walk in front of the stage!

When: Saturday, July 30, 6 p.m. (opening); Sunday, July 31, 6 p.m.
Where: Memorial Park Amphitheater, Cupertino Memorial Park, 21121 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino
Information: www.sfshakes.org

 

Pirates of Penzance live in San Jose

We told you this weekend in the South Bay is all about theater! Our Bay Area southern parts are also host to another crowd-pleasing theater classic this weekend, albeit one that's downright modern by Shakespearean standards. San Jose's Lyric Theatre is putting on Gilbert & Sullivan's perennially popular musical Pirates of Penzance starting today. Regular admission is $40, with discounts for seniors, students, and youth.

When: Thursday, July 28, 8 p.m.; Saturday, July 30, 8 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 6, 8 p.m.
Where: 101 Paseo De San Antonio, San Jose
Information: www.lyrictheatre.org/pirates-of-penzance

 

See local art in San Francisco

Let's face it, it's hard to make it as an artist anytime, and super-speedy gentrification combined with Covid could easily spell the end of local artists in San Francisco. So why not check out some area artists and give a little support to keep the Bay Area art scene going strong? It's also a fun way to get out and about and see some cutting-edge creations. And we have just the place for you to check out.

Relative newcomer gallery The Drawing Room has a new show opening at its 780 Valencia Annex this weekend, kicking off with an opening reception on Saturday. The exhibit is really two in one: An "Up in Arms" show of works that address threats to reproductive rights and a show exploring themes about "Land." The gallery makes an effort to open opportunities to local artists who are under-represented by traditional galleries and to represent the "broadest segment of artists possible," so we think it's worth a whirl. 

When: July 30, 4-9 p.m.
Where: The Drawing Room Annex, 780 Valencia Street, San Francisco
Information: drawingroomsf.com

 

San Francisco Martini Week

Monday can also count as part of the weekend, right? No, you say? Well, how about when Monday kicks off San Francisco's first-ever Martini Week? Yeah, we thought so.

Junipero gin is promoting the "tribute to where both the martini and Junipero Gin were born" with special martinis at bars and restaurants across the city (made with Junipero gin, naturally) – all raising funds for The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Participating bars and restaurants include 15 Romolo, Bar Iris, Blondies, For the Record, High Horse, Kona Street Market, Pacific Cocktail Haven, Rye, Sushi Sato, Wilder, and Wildhawk. 

When: Aug. 1-6
Information: juniperogin.com/martiniweek/