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

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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…

HISTORY | Street photography can really capture the character of a city. The average person engaged in day-to-day activities, a crowd of pedestrians unaware of the lens, children playing in a park…it’s nothing seemingly all that special, but it can still be utterly profound. Vancouver’s younger years have been documented through the works of photographers like Fred Herzog and Foncie Pulice. Pulice is considered to be Vancouver’s most prolific street photographers. They say that – as he explored the streets of Vancouver between 1940s and the 1970s – he took over 15 million photos. That’s a lot of film! Catch an exhibition of his photos at The Museum Of Vancouver this Wednesday and get a whole new appreciation for our history.
Wed, June 5 | 6:30pm | Museum of Vancouver (1100 Chestnut St) | $15 | DETAILS

GET UP | This Friday brings the monthly morning gathering for creative types that we know as Creative Mornings. Each event includes a 20 minute lecture followed by a 20 minute group discussion. It begins at 8:30am and ends with everyone splitting for work at 10am. This month’s presenters, Ilana Labow and Marc Schutzbank of Fresh Roots Urban Farm, are speaking on the topic of food (the international theme adopted by Creative Mornings for this month). As growers, distributors, educators and food lovers, we’re betting that this event will be an inspired start to your Friday. Sign-up for a ticket here (they get snapped up FAST, so don’t wait.)
Frid, June 7 | 8:30-10am | Dodson House (25 E Hastings) | Free | DETAILS

GO INDIE | Music Waste is on! The annual independent art, music and comedy festival will spread across numerous city blocks to bring you close to 100 bands playing at a variety of venues – all within reasonable walking distances from one another. This year’s line-up could keep anyone solidly busy from Thursday afternoon straight through to Sunday night with short breaks for food and sleep. A series of comedy gigs, art exhibits and performance art compliment the main event. The gigs and happenings are so numerous and so good that it’s pointless to try to narrow them down. Skip over to the Waste website for a look at the schedule and to customize your own must-see shortlist. And get this: full festival passes are only $15!
June 6-9 | Various times and venues | $15 | DETAILS

CULTURE | In The House Festival brings arts and cultural performances into the living rooms and backyards of East Vancouver homes, and not in the way you’d think, (not on the flatscreen). They bring them into the living rooms. They organize Vancouver artists and performers to put on intimate live shows in multiple private residences (porches, backyards, garages, kitchens or living rooms) in the Victoria Drive and Napier area. 2013 marks their 10th year. In addition to over 20 shows in 13 houses, they plan to mark the occasion with a free community potluck on Sunday, June 9. Ticket prices range from single show tickets for adults priced at $15 to a four show pass ($50) or a full weekend pass for $95.
June 7-9 | Various times and locations around Napier & Victoria | $various | DETAILS

FUSE | This is a good weekend to take small people to the Vancouver Art Gallery. It’s Family Fuse Weekend and there are all sorts of fantastic fun afoot. There will be performers, dancers, musicians, and other creative artists leading workshops and tours focused on the theme of ‘Wonderlands’ (inspired by Grand Hotel: Redesigning Modern Life). Design your dream hotel and then build a model of it using materials provided by the Gallery; paint your own ‘room with a view’; or create a matchbox-sized hotel that will slip neatly inside your pocket. The whole weekend will be filled with travel-themed activities. Kids under 12 get in for free with a paying adult.
Sat–Sun, June 8&9 | 10am–5pm | Vancouver Art Gallery (750 Hornby St) | $22.50 | DETAILS 

RAINCITY CHRONICLES | Raincity Chronicles takes the stage at The Chinatown Night Market this week. Gather around for an evening of storytelling featuring a diverse roster of Vancouverites who will speak to the general theme of Chinatown. “From your favourite actress to the guy who sells you coffee, we believe everyone has a great personal story to tell. Our mission is to provide a community space for sharing these stories.” There won’t be a huge number of chairs kicking around at this fresh air event, so please arrive early if sitting on a chair is a priority for you. Also, please arrive hungry if eating dinner from a food truck is a priority for you (there will be many to choose from).
Sat, June 8 | 7:30 pm | Keefer between Main + Columbia) | Free | DETAILS

ITALIAN DAYS | Italian Day on Commercial Drive goes down on Sunday. There are few things more intoxicatingly ‘Vancouver’ than a little sunshine on your face as you walk up the middle of The Drive through a gentle haze of incense, weed and curbside barbecue smoke while you take in community group tables, food booths and live music. Add to all of that more than a few options for a good cup of coffee, some Venetian carnival masks, a display of classic cars and a bocce court on 3rd Avenue. Does it get any better? Only if you remember to leave the car at home (driving will be impossible).
Sun, June 9 | 12pm-5pm | Commercial Drive (Venables to Grandview) | Free | DETAILS

SAVE | Summer is coming and though it’s still hard to imagine there will be long dry stretches that will leave your garden thirsty. One way to conserve water and supply your garden with what it needs is to get organized with a rain barrel. The World in A Garden (an urban farm and educational group located along the railway tracks between East and West Boulevard at 57th Avenue) is hosting a community workshop on rain barrels this Sunday. Expect a rain water harvesting demonstration, tips on everything from what to look for in a barrel, where ideal placement would be, and how to harvest rain water. Registration is suggested.
Sunday, June 9 | 12-1:30pm | The World In a Garden (W. 57th and East Blvd.) | DETAILS 

PHOTOGRAPHY | The Acorn crew is pretty well tapped into Vancouver’s music and art scenes. They’ve been hosting gigs with some of Vancouver’s best musicians since they opened their doors, and they are now moving on to visual arts. They explain thusly: “As much as we love to share the excitement and pleasure of dining over deliciously creative food, we also love sharing some of the other things in life that warm not only our bellies but our hearts and souls.” And that’s where Jennilee Marigomen – local photographer and Photo Editor of 01 Magazine – is about to come in. Her work will kick off a series of in-house exhibitions that Acorn feels fits with their aesthetic and speaks to their patrons. Her photos are beyond beautiful. You’ve probably seen some of them and stopped to appreciate them in finer magazines and art shows around town. Making the launch party for this project even sweeter is the fact that you can also take a swing at purchasing prints for yourself. Yup, a selection of fairly priced (and particularly stunning) limited prints will be available for sale. Coming up in July: works by Howie Tsui.
Friday, June 7 | 10:30pm – 2am | Acorn (3995 Main St) | DETAILS

HEADS UP FOR NEXT WEEK

Fewer than 200 people have passed The Master Sommelier exam. Ever. That’s a tough test. So tough that the journey of four wine experts preparing themselves for the test makes fodder for an interesting documentary. From Eater.com: “The film documents these four men as they train for and eventually take the exam; it was shot in six countries including the US, Germany, France, and Italy. The exam is an incredibly intense, multi-step process that tests sommeliers on pretty much everything that there is to know about wine.” Catch Jason Wise’s full length documentary feature “Somm” at The Rio Theatre next Tuesday night. Not only will Wise Skype in for a post film Q&A, but there will also be an expert wine panel following the film, featuring Kurtis Kolt from The Westender Magazine and a pre-screening tasting.
Tuesday, June 11 | 7pm Tasting, 8:30 Film | Rio Theatre | 1660 West Broadway | DETAILS
UPDATE:  VIP wine tasting is sold now out, though tickets for the screening and Q&A are still available. The Rio has also added a second screening, Thursday June 13 at 7:00 pm 
www.riotheatretickets.ca

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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There is 1 comment

  1. Just greatly appreciate this insight into what is up in Vancouver. All interesting items. Thank you.

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