7 amazing Bay Area things to do this weekend, July 21-23

From Barbie vs. the bomb to great live shows to 10 great ice cream parlors, there is just a ton of cool stuff to do this weekend. So, let’s get right to it, shall we?

As with everything these days, be sure to double check websites for any last-minute changes in health guidelines. 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: It’s Barbieheimer time

Yes, two huge blockbuster movies, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” are both opening this weekend, and which one you see first says a lot about you. Do you support “Barbie,” about an 11½-inch plastic toy praised for empowering girls and vilified for promoting vapidity and eating disorders (see the review here), or “Oppenheimer,” about how America put one of the most brilliant minds in history to use figuring out a way to blow all life off the face of the Earth before the Nazis could (review here). Good times!

2 WATCH: More movies about the bomb

If you can’t get tickets to “Oppenheimer,” know that there is a long list of classic films and shows about the bomb and nuclear power. Here are 10 you can watch at home right now.

Everyone knows the Bay Area is a major player in the foodie universe, but it’s a topic that is always ripe for new discoveries, and these nine podcasts offer just that.

4: MAKE & EAT: Middle Eastern deliciousness

Who doesn’t love the rich, smoky flavors of baba ganoush? It may seem a little intimidating to make the dish at home, but this lightly charred zucchini dip is easy to make and just as yummy.

5 WATCH: Jewish Film Fest is back

One of the Bay Area’s absolute best film series, the Jewish Film Festival, returns this week with screenings in San Francisco and Oakland. Here’s what you need to know and six films to see.

6: SEE & HEAR: Great concerts and shows are all over

From the terrific ODC/Dance troupe to amazing violinist Mads Tolling to the lovable musical “Kinky Boots,” there are some great shows to see in the Bay Area this weekend and beyond.

7 SAVOR: Let’s go for ice cream!

For some reason, this seems like the perfect weekend to go visit an ice cream shop (tune in next week when we say the same thing!). But not just any ice cream shop — we’re talking about some of the best ice cream parlors in the Bay Area.