SCOUT LIST: 10 Things That You Should Absolutely Do Between Now & Next Week

by Michelle Sproule | The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit. The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours…

Grow | The gals from Victory Gardens and Maya Sciarretta of Sugo Sauce team up to celebrate tomatoes with a workshop at Harvest Community Foods. Awesome deal: for only twenty beans you get a lecture on how to grow sauce ingredients, a demo on how to prep and preserve your own tomatoes, as well as a thorough sampling of pasta and a jar of Sciarretta’s sauce.
Monday, September 24 | 6:30-8pm | Harvest Community Foods | $20 | Details

Literary | Critically acclaimed author Michael Chabon is on town. The Vancouver International Writers Festival has arranged for Chabon to talk about his latest book, Telegraph Avenue at St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church this Wednesday night. Kind of a big deal.
Wednesday, September 26 | 8pm | St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church (1022 Nelson) | $21 | Details

Art | You may want to make a point of hitting the Vancouver Art Gallery one day this week as it’ll be your last chance to catch the Collecting Matisse show. Little tip: if you make that day Saturday you can also squeeze in Leonardo and the Last Supper, wherein “two–time Governor General’s Literary Award–winner Ross King will reveal why The Last Supper ensured Leonardo’s universal renown as a visionary master of the arts”. It’s part of the Canadian Art Foundation’s International Speaker Series, and it promises to fascinate.
Now through Sunday, September 30 | All day | Vancouver Art Gallery | $20 | Details

Film | The Vancouver International Film Festival is on. It’s big. How big? Over 380 films big. Almost overwhelming, right? Narrow things down by browsing by series (organisers have classified films into a number of series such as Canadian Images, Cinema of Our Time, Nonfiction Features and Special Presentations). There’s a lot to take in. This week we’re keen to check out More Than Honey: “Millions of bees have disappeared worldwide over the past few years. Given the importance of bees to life on earth, are we facing a total system collapse? Looking for answers, Markus Imhoof travels from the Alps to the Arizona desert, interviewing experts ranging from beekeepers to scientists. Unlike earlier films on the subject, Imhoof’s offers up a possible solution”.
September 28 | 11:40 am Empire Granville 3 | Details

Moon | This Saturday welcomes the Renfrew Ravine Still Moon Festival! It’s a magical night, a twilight celebration of art, music, environmental stewardship, and community participation. “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”. Scout goes every year and we’re freaking stoked for it.
Saturday, September 29 | Harvest Fair, 4-7pm | 7:30-9pm Lanterns, art, music, tea and moon cakes at Renfrew Park | Details

Moonshiner | It’s Union Wood & Supply Co’s first birthday and they plan to celebrate with a first rate “coming together of artisinal doers-and-thinkers of Vancouver’s creative culture”. Sounds amazing so far, right? The evening is divided in to two parts. First, the civilized food eating part of the evening sees chef Owen Lightly of Butter On The Endive cooking Southern-inspired small plates with Inner City Farms produce (and other bits) to be paired with pours from a custom cask of R&B beer brewed by Todd Graham, head brewer at R&B Brewing Company. It all goes down in the beautiful Union Wood workshop. Tickets for this are $60, but that includes good food and some fine beer. The second part is the less civilized and very possibility somewhat wild part of the evening. It comes after the supper and involves more beer (at reasonable prices) and cool people.
Saturday, September 29 | Union Wood & Supply Co (503 Railway) | 6pm onward | Details

Chow | This Sunday may be the last chance of the season for you to behold a proper gathering of food trucks. A flock of some of Vancouver’s finest trucks will be parked in the Waldorf parking lot to serve up some seriously good grub for the last installment of Food Cart Fest. We think you should make a point of attending. Expect Off the Wagon, Soho Road, Mom’s Grilled Cheese, Cartel Taco, Pig on the Street, Guanaco, Mogu – maybe even Re-Up and The Juice Truck. And the fun doesn’t stop there. There will also be live music and a beer garden. Really, can you think of a better Sunday afternoon?
Sunday, September 30 | noon to 5pm | 1489 East Hastings | Free admission

Learn | This is the time of year to get canning. Here’s a cool spin on the task: canning without refined sugar. Learn about canning practices that use natural sweeteners like fruit juice instead of loading tons of sugar. The program is presented in collaboration with the Vancouver Fruit Tree Project.
Thursday, September 27 | 6pm-8:30pm | Strathcona Garden Eco-Pavilion near Hawks and Prior | $12 | Details

Read | The Word On The Street National Book & Magazine Festival is happening this weekend. Workshops, author readings and book signings are going on at multiple locations staring Friday, but the big deal is Sunday, when a gazillion literary tents pop up around the main branch of the Vancouver Public Library and the streets pop with musical entertainment, roving performers, children’s activities, workshops, poetry readings and more than a few books and magazines.
Sunday, September 30 | 11am-4pm | Library Square (350 W. Georgia) | Details

Eat Local | And as always, get your weekly shopping done at a farmers market this week. Remember, they won’t be around forever. For example, this Wednesday is your second to last chance to grab mid-week provisions from the Main Street Market. Sigh. Don’t miss out.

East Side: Saturday | 9am – 2pm | Trout Lake | FREE
West End: Saturday | 9am – 2pm | 1100 Block of Comox | FREE
Dundarave (West Van) Saturday | 9am – 2pm | Between 24 & 25 on Marine
Kits: Sunday | 10am – 2pm | Parking Lot of Kits Community Centre | FREE
DTES: Wednesday | 3pm – 7pm | Thornton Park | FREE
Kerrisdale | Saturdays | 10am – 2pm | until October 6.
UBC Farm Market: Saturday | 9-1 | UBC Farm

Have a good week!

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Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives in beautiful Strathcona 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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