A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

Free Your Mind, And Your Ass Will Follow

Our carefully considered first rate list of super sweet things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week…

MONDAY

International Film Day at the SUB
Out at the SUB today you can catch award winning movies and documentaries from around the globe. Featured flicks include the moving and beautifully filmed Born into Brothels: Calcutta’s Red Light Kids; Paris, Je t’aime; Once and Together. Not a bad lineup of FREE flicks! Er, make that almost free – admission is by donation. The money collected goes to Kids with Cameras, the non-profit organization whose founder was the main character featured in Born into Brothels.
March 16 | Various Times – visit site for details | UBC SUB | By Donation

Scout Cherry Blossoms
It’s cherry blossom season – learn how to find and identify the species of cherry trees in your neighbourhood so that you can share first sightings with the good folks who organise the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival. Bill Stephen, Vancouver Parks Board arborist, leads an introductory course at the VanDusen Botanical Garden. Register by contacting [email protected].
March 16 | 7:30 pm | VanDusen Botanical Garden | FREE

TUESDAY

St. Patricks Day at WISE Hall
Grab yourself a pint and a bowl of Irish Stew and settle in for an evening of traditional Irish Music with The Great Outdoors and Shane’s Teeth (Pogues cover band)
March 17 | Show at 8pm** | WISE Hall | $5 before 8pm, $8 after.

Under The Hawthorn Tree
“For the first time ever the story of Ireland’s Great Potato Famine will be staged in a powerful new musical based on the award winning children’s novel Under The Hawthorn Tree by Marita Conlon-McKenna. With a haunting score and unforgettable songs this exciting new stage production has an appeal for audiences of all ages.
March 17 | Havana Restaurant | 8pm | $20

WEDNESDAY

Plants & Animals with DRMHLLR
From the Biltmore: Montreal indie art-rockers Plants & Animals are nominated for two Juno awards this year (best alternative album & new group of the year) and were shortlisted for the Polaris Prize in 2008. Suffice to say Parc Avenue, the band’s 2008 release made quite an impression. The Secret City (Patrick Watson) recording artists have also quickly gained a solid reputation as an electrifying live 3-piece. Tickets are going fast – this show will sell out! Check out their latest video here….DRMHLLR, a new Vancouver project, have already made a mark on the local scene despite having only played a few shows and no record (or even a myspace as of yet). With tripped out instrumentals, fat bass lines and inspiring daring changes, DRMHLLR are a band to watch for in the future.
March 18th | Doors 8 pm / Show 9:30 pm | Biltmore | Tickets $13 try Zulu or Red Cat

Update – the following from the Biltmore FB group: If you don’t have tickets for this show yet, nows the time to start selling your vital organs/used car parts/ souls, CAUSE ITS SOLD OUT SUCKAS!

Sliding Doors
Free movie and post screening Q & A with the director. The UBC Department of Theatre and Film & UBC Arts Wednesdays presents a the award-winning film Sliding Doors starring Gwyneth Paltrow followed by a question and answer period with director Peter Howitt.
March 18 | Doors at 5:30 pm – 6:00 pm start | UBC Robson Square | FREE |

Vancouver Film School Open House
Looking to switch careers or maybe you’ve just been thinking about checking out the Vancouver Film School because you live in the ‘hood and it looks like a pretty cool place. Tonight is a great opportunity to poke your head in the door for an open house focused on the Sound Design for Visual Media program. Meet Head of the SDVM Department Robert Grieve (credits under his belt include Zoolander and The Big Chill) investigate the neato bells and whistles of the trade and participate in interactive recording sessions. Register for this open house at vfs.com/openhouse.
March 18 | 6pm | Vancouver Film School | FREE

THURSDAY

Guitar, Violin & Vocals at the Naam
When was the last time you went to the Naam? Sometimes there’s nothing like a Dragon Bowl and some baked fries with miso gravy to bring you back down to earth. Add to that some live music and a cold beer – better than therapy. Tonight at the Naam, Sillken (Guitar, Violin & Vocals).
March 19 | 7pm | The Naam | FREE

Think City Storytelling Fundraiser
“Since 2002, the Think City Society has helped citizens understand the issues facing their communities while developing collective solutions to protect the environment, strengthen local economies, advance democratic rights and ensure access to quality public services. Tonights fundaraiser (hosted by the CBC’s Bill Richardson) will be “a cocktail party and silent auction featuring Vancouver memorabilia and experiences, along with stories past and present as told by Vancouver notables.”
March 19 | 7pm | Heritage Hall | $50 (not bad as far as fundraising event thingy’s go)

FRIDAY

Coin Gutter
Once again the supercool gang at Blim have set up an evening of affordable entertainment in their intimate studio space just off Main on 17th. This week: Coin Gutter & Friends. So what’s Coin Gutter all about? Blim explains ’em like this: “When you hold your hand like a wing out of the car window and drive really fast, but then you remember that you’re the driver, and all of a sudden you snap back to the task of driving, but it’s too late. You’re in the on coming lane. That’s Coin Gutter.” I’m in.
March 20 | 8 – 11 PM | BLIM | $5 – 10 sliding scale

Audacious Visions for Vancouver
Join in a dialogue to discuss the future of Vancouver with a focus on how to we make it the greenest city in the world by 2020. Engage. Contribute your thoughts in an afternoon of creativity and “audacious thinking”. This event is a collaboration of the SFU Undergraduate Semester in Dialogue and the City of Vancouver’s Greenest City Action Team.
March 20 | Registration 1pm | Pacifica Photography Studio | FREE

Alex Cuba at the Biltmore
Alex Cuba, (originally from Cuba but now based in Smithers – go figure) plays the Biltmore tonight with Zapato Negro. The last of the Cultural Olympiad “Music Matters” concert series at the Biltmore is (in the words, once again, of Aaron the booking agent) 100% guaranteed to make you feel like you are in Cuba basking in the hot sun and away from the cold Vancouver rain. ** NOTE: Guarantee is not actually backed up with the promise of any type of refund or a free gift item. Its all up to you – in the words of Funkadelic: “Free your mind, and your ass will follow”.
March 21 | Doors 8 pm / Show 9:30 pm | Biltmore | $15 as always – try Zulu

Vancouver Poetry Face Off
This year the theme for the Vancouver Poetry Face Off is flight. Five Vancouver poets have been invited to write and perform a poem based on this theme. Be there to vote for your favourite! Chris Gilpin, Tanya Evanson, Duncan Shields, “Relevant” and Lucia Misch take the stage to give you the best that they can. All 5 poems will be heard on North by Northwest and the winner will go on to compete in the National Poetry Face Off.
March 20 | 7pm (but get there a little early – the room will fill up fast) | Cafe Deux Soleil |$5

SATURDAY

Green Building 101
A two-hour, non-technical workshop for homeowners, apartment-dwellers and anyone else interested in learning how to “green” their home. Participants will gain a general understanding of green design ideas, issues and processes, develop a set of personal green goals for their home, and leave with a practical resource workbook. Confused about where to start, who to talk to and what questions to ask? Then this course is for you!
March 21 | 10am – noon | Light House Sustainable Building Centre | $26 (Book included)

Donnie Darko at the Biltmore
Couldn’t help but mention another Biltmore event – Free Flicks at the Biltmore.
This week the new Saturday matinée series at the Biltmore features Donnie Darko with guest DJ’s playing film-apropos tracks that resonate two sheets at the open bar.
March 21 | 12 noon – 4 | Biltmore Cabaret | FREE

SUNDAY

Spirit Fish
The Spirit Fish Project is a watershed awareness and art project under development by Still Moon Arts Society with the Support of Canada Council for the Arts. Create a Spirit Fish floating boat lantern, kick back and listen to live music and generally enjoy the second day of Spring!
March 22 | 10am – 3pm | Renfrew Park Community Centre | FREE

Artists Trading Cards
I’m out of town this weekend – and a little bummed that I will miss this event. I have been meaning to check out what goes down at an Artist Trading Card gig for some time now – and it looks like I will have to wait still another month before I can find out. Artists Trading Cards are small (hockey card size) works of art that artists trade (usually for other artists cards, but sometimes for cash) and the trading session goes down this Sunday. For the low down on ATC, visit Wikipedia here.
March 22 |1 – 3 pm | The Grind Gallery & Café | FREE

“Reprogramming Dinner”
From the UBC Continuing Studies site: “Food and travel journalist Don Genova takes eating seriously. He observes that our contemporary trends of over-consumption and under-nutrition are in stark contrast to the leaps and bounds taking place within the whole local and organic foods movement. Using the food history of his own life as a touchstone, Don describes how our ways of eating have changed radically over the past 50 years, and asks us to reflect with care on where we might be headed.”
March 19 | 12-1 pm | UBC Robson Square | FREE

Transition Into 2024 with Some Quality Downtime

From our calendar to yours comes this carefully considered agenda of cool things we are doing, wishing we could do, or conspiring to do in Vancouver, from now until January 8th, 2024.

Scout List, Vol. 601

From our calendar to yours comes this carefully considered agenda of cool things we are doing, wishing we could do, or conspiring to do in Vancouver, right now.

Scout List, Vol. 600

From our calendar to yours comes this carefully considered agenda of cool things we are doing, wishing we could do, or conspiring to do in Vancouver, from March 30th to April 5th, 2023.

Scout List, Vol. 599

From our calendar to yours comes this carefully considered agenda of cool things we are doing, wishing we could do, or conspiring to do in Vancouver over the days and weeks ahead.