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. You can also check it out in the Globe & Mail, from our calendar to theirs…and yours!

COMMUNITY | Placemaking is an urban planning and design concept that focuses on identifying and building upon a community’s character, vision and existing assets to create good public spaces. The idea is that thriving common spaces naturally foster a stronger healthier and more connected community. Awesome, right? Mark Lakeman is a permaculturalist and architect from Portland, Oregon. He is also the co-founder of the City Repair Project that saw street corners and intersections in Portland transformed into works of art and public gathering places. Lakeman will be at SFU Woodwards this Friday night to give a public lecture entitled “Cracks in the pavement: Placemaking and the Remaking of the Modern City” If you’re a fan of things like community gardens, impromptu ‘build a mico-park” parties and well placed ‘free book shelves’, this is a great opportunity to meet up with like-minded Vancouverites and learn some new community building strategies. There is much to learn, Padawans. Hook yourself up here!
Fri, Feb 7 | 6:30pm | SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (149 W Hastings St) | $20 | DETAILS

CUSACK | Hit The Rio Theatre for a screening of Say Anything this Friday night. The Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Fast Times at Ridgemont High) flick from 1989 about an endearing misfit (John Cusack) who fights against the odds to win the heart of the class valedictorian (Ione Skye). It’s a late night screening with bar service. If you’re feeling inspired, dress up in a film-related costume – the effort will score you $2 off of admission. This is an easy one: all you’ll need some baggy jeans, a t-shirt and an oversized trench coat (accessorize with a late 80’s model boom box for extra points).
Fri, Feb 7 | 11:30pm | Rio Theatre (1660 E Broadway) | $8/$6 in costume | DETAILS

LOVE LETTERS | Valentine’s Day is fast approaching. Be bold by sitting down to craft a hand-written letter to that (literate) special someone in your life. If you’re unsure of how to get things rolling, allow The Regional Assembly of Text on Main St. to help out. You take your romantic thoughts and secret confessions (keep it cleanish for everyone’s sake) and they will hook you up with a brilliant collection of paper, cards and stamps to help you get the job done. It’s called the Letter Writing Club. It’s free, open to everyone, and supplies are provided. Go ahead and give someone a written thrill!
Thurs, Feb. 6 | 7:30 pm | Regional Assembly of Text (3934 Main St) | Free | DETAILS

CELEBRATE | It’s time for Lunar Fest. Enjoy colourful lanterns, stunning visual art installations, storytelling, drumming, lantern-making workshops, games, Lion Dancers, dumplings and tea. Admission to the festival is free. For event details and schedule, visit the LunarFest website.
Feb 7-9 | 11am – 7pm | Vancouver Art Gallery Plaza (750 Hornby St) | Free | DETAILS

CROWS | Have you ever witnessed the menacing stream of crows cutting across the Vancouver skyline at sundown and wondered where they’re headed? Well, this Saturday you’re invited to hop on your bicycle and follow them to find out. The Still Moon Arts Society has partnered up with local artist and bike enthusiast Red Sara to organize a bike ride that follows the crows to their roost on the banks of Still Creek on the Vancouver/Burnaby border. This is a rain or shine gig, so be smart and dress for the weather. Meet at Lakewood Drive Central Valley Greenway at 4:30pm (for a shorter route, meet at Renfrew Skytrain Station at 4:45pm).
Sat, Feb 8 | 4:30 pm at Lakewood and Central Valley Greenwood, or at 4:45 at Renfrew Skytrain Station | Free | DETAILS

ALE | If you’re a cider fan you’ll want to hustle over to The WISE Hall this Saturday for CiderWISE. The collaborative effort of the beer wonks at The Campaign for Real Ale Society and Untapped, a local artisanal craft beer and cider import and distribution agency, gives us the opportunity to taste a bunch of cider. There will be some super awesome cider producers on site – think Sea Cider, Merridale Estate Cidery, Left Field and Lonetree Cider, plus gluten-free beer and super smart beer and cider geeks floating around and stroking their beards Bonus: Culver City Salads will have their food truck parked outside.
Sat, Feb 8 | 12-4pm | Wise Club & Hall (1882 Adanac St) | $25 | DETAILS

WINTER FARMERS MARKET | Stay strong, take your vitamins, and eat well by loading the fridge with fresh, local food. Shoot over to 30th and Ontario to get your fill of fruits and veggies. Look for kale, crispy apples, leeks, beets, potatoes and squash, as well as goodies like baked goods, preserves and local honey. Yay farmers!
Sat, Feb 8 | 10am – 2pm | East Parking Lot Nat Bailey Stadium | DETAILS

HOW ROMANTIC | Stanley Park is a great place for running, walking, birding, exploring and picnicking, but it’s also known to be a pretty good place for romance (because nothing says love like a make-out session in the park). If you’re looking for some inspirational evidence of this, there’s a walk going down this Sunday afternoon. It’s called Romantic Stanley Park: Amorous, Curious, and Shady Sides. Pull on your gumboots (trails can be a little muddy and gumboots are sexy) and learn about some of the juicy bits of park history that you may not have been aware of. Pre-registration is advised given the popularity of these programs. To pre-register, email [email protected].
Sun, Feb. 9 | 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm | Stanley Park Nature House | $10 |  DETAILS

MAKE | Pickled vegetables are good for you – full of flavour AND probiotics. Learn how to make your own using traditional fermentation methods that do not involve heat or canning. In addition to instruction on method, technique and ingredients required to make a tasty Brined Pickle participants will get the score on all of the nutrition information about the benefits of fermented foods AND they’ll leave with the beginnings of their own pickled vegetable jar to take home.
Sun, Feb 9 | 12pm | Homesteader’s Emporium (649 E Hastings St)|$25 | DETAILS

FAMILY DAY | Hooray for family!  If you don’t have one, that’s too bad. But you can always build one out of friends, and sometimes it’s easier that way. However you roll, make good use of this day off by getting together with the people you love. Take a walk, linger over coffee, sit down for a good meal. Red Wagon in Hastings-Sunrise would be a good place to start. Then maybe hit up the Vancouver Art Gallery where the Making Space programming (12-4pm) will keep you all kinds of busy. Their get-your-hands-dirty workshops are designed to offer families a chance to experiment with a variety of materials and processes. Have a few laughs and be creative!
Mon, Feb 10 | All Day | Everywhere 

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

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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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