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

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…

HONEY & BEER | Hives for Humanity is a local organization that uses bees and beekeeping to build and strengthen community, particularly in neighbourhoods at risk of being disenfranchised. It’s a brilliant idea; setting up apiaries and offering mentorship to support the people who will care for the bees. People come together, bees are looked after, and the environment grows a little stronger. How could it get better than that? By adding beer, of course! Hives for Humanity CEO and chief beekeeper Julia Common will be showcasing an amazing assortment of local honeys at Legacy Liquor Store this Thursday. These will be paired with a selection of beers to highlight their diverse flavours and subtle differences. Sweet.
Thursday, Feb 21 | 6:30pm | The Harvest Table at Legacy Liquor Store | $30 | DETAILS

PUNK’S NOT DEAD | California punk rockers Pennywise (of Fuck Authority and Bro Hymn fame) are playing the Commodore this week. The show might sold out, but we know there are tickets floating about town (check Craigslist for starters). If you can score entry, this is going to be a good show, one that is guaranteed to be surging with energy and sleeveless t-shirts.
Thurs, Feb 21 | 8pm | Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville) | at least $35 | DETAILS

CRAZY8s | Every year hundreds of aspiring Vancouver film makers come up with a film idea and pitch it to Crazy8’s Film Festival. It’s a hard process, but a shortlist is generated and six finalists are assigned a mentor, given access to film gear, and have their pockets lined with $1000 cash in order to produce a short film. The catch? They have to do the whole thing in just 8 days. The films are being screened at the Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts this Saturday night. Get yourself a ticket support emerging film talent in this city! After-party at the Vancouver Art Gallery.
Sat, Feb 23 | 7pm | Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts (777 Homer St) | Afterparty: VAG | $30 | DETAILS

TEA HUNTERS | The O5Tea Bar in Kitsilano is dead sexy. It has a calm, sleek and exotic feel to it, and when you dig a little deeper you’ll find it has substance and integrity, too. The little shop is dedicated to introducing Vancouver to real tea. By “real” I mean not flavoured or processed teas, but rather naturally grown and traditionally gathered teas with flavour profiles and subtleties specific to the regions that they were grown in. You can make your way to the bar at O5 at any time during the week (Mon – Sat/9:30am – 11:00am) but the thing we’re really stoked to try is their upcoming evening of tea-inspired cocktails and tapas designed to highlight the characteristics of tea growing regions one by one. This week it’s “The Americas” with chef Jonathan Chovancek and Lauren Mote of Kale + Nori Culinary Arts. They’ll be using hand-foraged teas from across North America as a starting point for the creation of beautiful cocktails and perfectly paired tapas.
Fri, Feb 22 | 7pm | O5 Tea bar (2208 W 4) | $50 | DETAILS

UKULELE FESTIVAL | The Vancouver Ukulele Festival sold out last year. I know – that’s crazy. But it sold out for a reason. It’s because ukuleles are rad. This year’s festival includes a multi-performance “Fan-uke-tastic” concert at St. James Hall ($18) and a full day of workshops for every level of ukulele enthusiast from beginner through to advanced.
Fri, Feb 22 + Sat, Feb 23 | Various times/locations/prices | DETAILS

SPAIN | It’s about this time of year that taking a break for some sunshine starts to look like a pretty good idea — a necessity even. If slipping out of the office for a week in Spain sounds about right but the price of airfare and the time off work are holding you back, there’s a local band-aid solution that might do the trick: grab a comfy chair at the Vancity Theatre and settle in for the Festival of New Spanish Cinema. Beginning Friday night, Vancity will be screening five contemporary Spanish films that, although very different in content and style, all have the ability to transport you somewhere exotic and warm for a few hours at a time. We suggest starting off with a stop at Gastown’s Sardine Can or Denman Street’s Espana for some pre-film spanish tapas and cocktails.
Feb 22 – 28 | Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour) | DETAILS

POP-UP | A proper pop-up is a chance for emerging artists and designers to showcase their work as much as it is an opportunity for consumers to procure unique and handcrafted items out of the mainstream and away from mass production. A win-win for individuals and communities. Case in point: Pool. Pool is a gathering of six artists who will be showing their work at The Chinatown Experiment this weekend. I see a lot of pop-ups, and I don’t see a lot of line-ups as rock solid as this one. Pool boasts Landon Dix Design + Craft, Henderson Dry Goods, Fleet Objects, Gailan Ngan, Derek Dix and Solis Jewelry. If you’re unfamiliar with any of the names above, you really need to get down to this Columbia Street location to check them out in person. If you DO know these names, you’re likely already counting the days. See you there.
Feb 22-24 | The Chinatown Experiment (434 Columbia St) | DETAILS

GROW WHAT YOU EAT | It’s still snowing back east. That’s one of the great things about Vancouver, when it’s freezing cold in the rest of the country, we are beginning to see green bits poking through the ground. Sure, it still seems a little grey and soggy, but we’re through the really rough part, and we don’t need groundhogs to tell us that Spring is now on the horizon. That being said, it’s time to start prepping your garden, making a plan, and caring for your soil. If you aren’t sure just where to begin, the girls of Victory Gardens can help. Join in on their straight forward and demonstrative Early Garden Workshop this weekend and get tips on how you can start an early garden. Learn what plants are best suited to these early spring temperatures, get schooled on soil preparation and learn how to start growing indoors in order to plant outside in the coming weeks.
Sat, Feb 23 | Chalk (593 E. Georgia St./Corner of East Georgia and Princess Avenue) | $18 | DETAILS

GETAWAY | One never needs a reason to head to Galiano Island, but this weekend the reasons to catch the ferry are bolstered by the Galiano Literary Festival, a three day event that includes workshops, star-studded panel discussions and intimate readings. Festival organizer, Galiano Island Books, has rallied a fine line-up of authors including John Belshaw, Robert Bringhurst, Kevin Chong, Daniela Elza, Bill Gaston, Kim Goldberg, Frances Greenslade, Pauline Holdstock, Christina Johnson-Dean, Robyn Michele Levy, Billie Livingston, Annabel Lyon, Emily McGiffin, Donna Morrissey, Billeh Nickerson, Diane Purvey, Nancy Richler, Audrey Thomas, and Jan Zwicky. Inspiring surroundings and inspiring people? Count us in. Check the ferry schedule here.
Feb 22-24 | 9 AM-6 PM | Galiano Oceanfront Inn and Spa | $20-150 | DETAILS

SUPPORT | Project Limelight is committed to providing local kids an opportunity to participate in a theatre group. At no cost, dedicated children get to develop their theatrical talent in a safe environment (mentored by professionals ) as they work together to produce a performance for their family, friends and the larger community. This weekend the children of Project Limelight are performing There’s No Place Like OZ, a fun take on Frank L Baum’s Wizard of Oz that involves music, dance, comedy and a little audience interaction. Grab a ticket to the matinee or the evening show and be transported to a magical place while also giving a bunch of kids the thrill of a packed house.
Sun, Feb 24 | 2 & 6pm | Goldcorp Centre for the Arts | $15 | DETAILS

Check the Globe & Mail every Thursday for our Special Weekend Edition of the Scout List

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late-may-2009-169Michelle 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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