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

10 Great Reasons Why October Is Going To Be Super Awesome…

October might just be my favourite month of the year. It’s the picture of “mild”, and with school in full gear and the colours in stunning flux there’s a peaceful quotient that can’t be under appreciated.  There’s also – as always – a bunch of straight up very cool things to get involved in and look forward to, so in advance of the four Scout Lists we have lined up for the month, here are our picks of an extra awesome litter…

Regular Season Hockey Starts…

There’s nothing more righteously Canadian than drunkenly celebrating the spectacle of grown men beating the living shit out of each other with big sticks in their hands and sharp knifes on the feet. It’s cockfighting for the morally and divinely untouchable, and with preseason coming to a close it’s time to commune (with the puck, my dear). Hey Canucks, get ‘er freakin’ done this year, umkay?
Canucks @ Flames | October 1st. | CBC has it in high definition.

Lunatic Surfer Watching in Dundarave

On any given super blustery day with a high tide hop on the 250 Horseshoe Bay bus, get off at 24th, score a hot coffee at the Delaney’s on the corner, walk the block down to the seawall, cruise along wary of the rollers that sneak in to waah-womp white spray 30 feet in the air to smash down on and soak the heads of the assembled geriatrics out for an afternoon constitutional, and find a broad beached log to park off on while watching Vancouver’s gnarliest drysuits slash frontside and backside on grim five footers that last four seconds and arrive only every half hour. PS. Bring a book and a hoodie.

Digging C.R. Avery…

Don’t miss this chance to see local harmonica playing beatbox/spoken word artist,  musician, and total lady’s man C.R. Avery. He’s back in town and who knows for how long, so catch him while you can.  The guy is notoriously difficult to track down. I once heard that someone wanting to book him for a performance was told in earnest that the best (and only) way to find him (no phone or fixed address) was to walk up and down Commercial Drive checking all the coffee joints. That was a long time ago. Now the geographic catchment area includes the cooler coffee shops across the continent, and many in Europe as well. He’s here and rumor has it he is putting on a show at the Rio (it’s almost always a rumor until he actually walks on stage), so if you’ve never seen him I highly recommend you give it a shot. If you have, you more than likely already have your tickets. Check out his (possibly the coolest ever) website for details. Oh, and listen.
October 3rd | 8:30 pm | Rio Theatre

Pumpkin Pie…

How can you look at a pumpkin and not feel happy? But the best thing about them is the way they taste when they are packed into a pie. You either love it or you hate it. We love it – for breakfast especially. Our pick for best finds us at West Van’s superlative Savary Island Pie Company for a traditional version that your grandma couldn’t beat at $5 a slice. For a twist – score some  Trees Organic pumpkin cheesecake at $5.99 the slice (now open in Yaletown).

Moon Festival…

“Led by the giant moon the community lights their own lanterns and, accompanied by live music, walks the trail along the ravine as darkness falls. They come upon the outdoor river-stone labyrinth where they are invited to a walking meditation surrounded by music and candles. The parade continues past other lantern installations such as the Watershed lanterns and surprise performances until it reaches Renfrew Park where night has fallen and a world of magic has arisen”. Stoked.
October 3rd | Moon Festival Harvest Fair, 4-7pm | Lantern Parade: 6:45-7:30pm

RIPE…

The 1st annual fundraising evening of local food, beer and wine, dubbed RIPE, goes down at Granville Island’s Performance Works this Thursday, October 1st in support of Vancouver Farmer’s Markets. Guests will be supporting a range of initiatives made possible with the net proceeds, including the Farmers Nest Egg Fund (aiding vendor-farmers, nurturing and expanding the network of local farmers who make our markets so great) and the New City Market, a state-of the-art, sustainable, LEED-certified, multi-function venue designed to house a year-round farmers market and resource facility. Scout is the event’s Signature Media Sponsor, so we’ll definitely see you there.
October 1 | 6-10pm | Performance Works on Granville Island | Tickets

Apple Festival…

This fall fest is educational, delicious and inexpensive.  Not only can you visit the tasting tents to sample up to 60 varieties of new and heritage apples (all grown in BC) but you also can learn from members of the the Vancouver Island-based BC Fruit Testers Association, members of which will be on site to give  grafting and cider-pressing demonstrations. There’ll also be Master Gardeners available to discuss apple-related diseases and pest management for those of you who have trees at home. And if you see those people who have trees and are getting free expert advice but you’re jealous because you don’t have a tree – don’t fret. You can also buy many varieties of apple trees grafted onto dwarfing root stock to plant in your own garden. But the best, superbest part? There’ll be no end of apple pie, hot apple cider, caramel apples, apple chips and organic BC apple juice.
October 17 & 18 | 11am to 4pm | UBC Botanical Garden | $2 (kids free)

Writers & Readers Fest…

The line up for the 2009 Vancouver International Writers and Readers Festival is out, and I gotta say it’s pretty sweet. “There’s something for everyone at this year’s Festival,” says Hal Wake, Artistic Director of the Festival. “We’ve got international luminaries like John Irving, The Time Traveller’s Wife author Audrey Niffenegger and Sarah Waters. Our lineup of eight French-language authors is truly formidable, led by Marie-Claire Blais, who will be appearing in events for both English and French-speaking audiences. For spoken word fans there is beat-box balladeer C.R. Avery. It’s a mark of the Writers Festival’s stature that authors want to come here and enjoy the enthusiasm of Vancouver-area readers.” Kicking off the Festival week is a tribute to Alice Munro on Sunday evening (October 18). International literary stars Richard Ford, Alistair MacLeod, Elizabeth Strout (winner of the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction), Amit Chaudhuri and Joan London, hosted by Eleanor Wachtel, will celebrate the life and work of Munro, who will be in attendance to hear what her work has meant to other eminent writers”. We’re talkin’ 69 events.
October 18-25 | Granville Island |  Website

Advance Screening of “Where the Wild Things Are”

You probably already know that Spike Jonze’s highly anticipated feature film interpretation of Maurice Sendak’s famous children’s book of the same name premieres October 16th, but Warner Bros. and Scout are presenting an advance screening two nights before. We will be giving a number of double passes away over the next two weeks through Twitter. If you aren’t following Scout on Twitter just yet, get on it.
Premiere: Oct 16, Advance Screening: Oct 14 | Follow Scout on Twitter for details

One of a Kind

At Scout we are inspired by people who create – people who have that something extra that pushes them to take their ideas and talents and turn them into things both tangible and marketable, things that allow them to enjoy lives of creative independence. One of a Kind is totally on the same page, and then some. They make a business of gathering a swarm of these people (designers, artists and artisans) under one roof so that shoppers can hop with ease from one to the next.  The line-up for the 2009 One of A Kind Show promises to impress.  With a focus on local designers and Canadian made products, the two days show cool way to support local. Look for a longer and more detailed Scout post about this event coming soon.
Oct 8-11 | Vancouver Convention Center | OneOfAKindVancouver.com

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late-may-2009-169Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended Bond University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives by the beach in Vancouver and enjoys wandering aimlessly through the city’s shops and streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy, and uncooperative camera.

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