7 terrific Bay Area things to do this weekend, Aug. 26-28

From a brand-new musical to Silicon Valley’s answer to Comic-Con and NorCal’s massive new water park, there’s a ton of ways to have fun this weekend. So let’s get to it.

And if you’re going out to a show or a meal, be sure to check the venue or restaurant website for the latest COVID safety updates before you go.

(Psst, if you want to get 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: Great shows, fests are all over

There is A LOT to see and do in the Bay Area this weekend, from a world premiere musical to Silicon Valley’s version of Comic-Con to some amazing concerts. Here’s a partial run-down. Oh, and did you know the oh-so-talented performer Hershey Felder is back in the Bay Area?

2 PLAY: Take a splash at Great Wolf Park

The humongous Manteca resort and indoor water park, which opened last year, is like nothing else in Northern California. Thinking of taking your kids? Here’s what you need to know.

3 WATCH: An odd and captivating love story

George Miller, the guy who made those intense post-apocalyptic “Mad Max” movies, just released the weird and beautiful “Three Thousand Years of Longing.” It tops our roundup of new movies and shows you should watch this weekend.

4 EAT: A meaty salad

We get it. You’re hungry. It’s too hot to cook but you know that an average salad is not going to cut it. We have just the compromise.

5 PLAY: Classic video game makes U.S. debut

U.S. fans of famed video game creator Takashi Tokita have been waiting for one of his classics to get released in the States. Well, it has, and here’s what we think of it.

6 SIP & PLAY: Fun with Japanese-Brazilian beer

If you’ve never sampled the exotic tastes of Japanese-Brazilian beer (is wasabi pale ale a thing?), you have a number of chances this weekend, as reps from Japas Cervejaria, the famed São Paolo-based Japanese-Brazilian brewery, will be at the TETRA Hotel in Sunnyvale to launch a new beer and host several beer-sipping events.

7 HEAR: Remember Soft Cell?

The synth-rock duo scored one of the definitive hits of the ’80s with their remake of “Tainted Love.” Now they are back in the Bay Area for the first time in 20 years. Here’s what you need to know, and a chat with singer Marc Almond.