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

Ten Things That You Should Absolutely Do Between Now And 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. You can also check it out in the Globe & Mail, from our calendar to theirs…and yours!

CELEBRATE | A parklet is such a clever (and adorable) concept. It’s a tiny green space (roughly the size of two street side parking spaces) that transforms a street into a gathering place. What an ingenious way to repurpose little slabs of concrete and increase connectedness and community at the same time. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to see these pop up at regular intervals around the city? If you’re curious about how a park the size of a few parking spaces feels, looks, and impacts a community, head to 21st & Main where The French Quarter Parklet will officially launch this Friday. “Occupying two street side parking spaces just west of Main Street on 21st Avenue, Mount Pleasant’s newest public space will provide a destination for passersby to rest, relax and ruminate while enjoying the sites and sounds of the vibrant neighbourhood…Key features include timber planters and benches” And here’s the extra awesome bit: it’s located right beside a chocolate shop. Chocolaterie de la Nouvelle France sponsored the development of the Parklet and will play a big role in Friday’s celebration. To wit, Anne-Genevieve Poitras, the shop’s owner and chocolatiere, has planned an offering of French sweets to compliment the day. Expect gelato, organic cotton candy, chocolates and Liege waffles. I can imagine it now: a sun-dappled afternoon, a good book, and a fresh (chocolate dipped?) waffle on a beautifully designed bench in pint-sized Mount Pleasant park. Vancouver can be pretty great. Congratulations to all involved in making this project come to life.
Friday, June 6 | 3-9pm | 198 East 21st Ave | DETAILS

RIDE | Velopalooza is a two week-long community-run bike fun fest that goes down from June 5th to the 22nd. With close to 70 events (rides, tours and meet-ups) planned, this is a good time to get your bike out of hibernation and back on the road. This week you can participate in the Logan’s Run Scavenger Hunt, a DIY Soundbike Ride, something called Soft Serve Sunday (presented by East Van Bike Polo), or just take an easy seawall cycle.
June 5 – 22 | Various times and locations | Free | DETAILS

MAKER FAIRE | Mini Maker Faire hits the PNE Forum this weekend. A cross between a science fair, a community fair, and a farmer’s market, Maker Faire will have everything from tiny houses and Lego to Makerbrarians and all manner of robots. This is an event that celebrates our power to make, remake, and create things, so clear your schedule, snap up a few tickets and roll up your sleeves for a fun day of exhibits, demonstrations, performances, and displays. Whether its pyrotechnics or food growing or something in between, you’ll be sure to find something within that inspires!
June 7 + 8 | 10am-6pm | PNE Forum (2901 E Hastings St) | $15 | DETAILS

FASHION | Lauren and Lyndsey from local clothing company Hey Jude are opening a summer boutique pop-up this week. This team really knows what they’re doing when it comes to curating seasonal selections of ‘on trend’ clothing and accessories. Veterans of the vintage pop-up scene in Vancouver, their style hits the intersection of classic and contemporary, structured and bohemian. Expect to see silks and cottons, pastels, metallic and monochromatic neutrals, as well as one-of-a-kind accessories and jewelry pieces. Good news, boys: this time around Hey Jude will also have menswear on offer.
Now – Sunday, June 8 | 11-7pm Daily | 196 Kingsway (@ 10th Ave) | DETAILS

PAUSE | Sunday is World Oceans Day and there are a multitude of ways to consider something that covers 71 percent of the Earth’s surface and contains 97 percent of the planet’s water. Most obviously, you can take some time out to connect with nature by heading to a beach and touching base with the real, salty thing, but you could also take a trip to the Aquarium where Dr. Peter Ross (the Aquarium’s director of the new Ocean Pollution Research Program) and Dr. Hans Schreier (professor in the Faculty of Land & Food Systems at the University of British Columbia) will talk about how we can protect our oceans (and particularly our marine mammals) from urban water pollution. Finally, consider an hour-long workshop at The Homeseader’s Emporium where there will be a homemade green-cleaning workshop that will instruct participants on how to make simple, ocean-safe cleaners for the kitchen, laundry, and bathroom. This workshop will include demos and visual aids of various recipes, complete with hands-on testing and evaluation.
LECTURE | Sun, June 8 | 6:30pm | Vancouver Aquarium | $10.50 | DETAILS
WORKSHOP | Sun, June 8 | 5:30pm | Homesteader’s Emporium | $10 | DETAILS

WILD | Although the city and people of Vancouver demonstrate a respect for (and connection to) nature that is at the core of our civic identity, we also know that this city, like any city, has dramatically altered the natural environment around it. The Museum of Vancouver is currently showing Rewilding Vancouver, an exhibition that does its best – using everything from taxidermy specimens and clever dioramas to video installations and soundscapes – to get us thinking about ways in which we shape nature and the ways in which nature shapes us. As programming to support this exhibition, the MOV is hosting an edible plant workshop this weekend. As explained by the Urban Herb School (leading the walk), “Through a combination of ancient, largely forgotten knowledge and more recent scientific discoveries, uncover the nutritional and medicinal properties of the oft-ignored plants that grow all around us: whether through the cracks in the pavement or in our parks.” Learn to identify herbs and edible plants in the Vanier Park area and take that knowledge and apply it to the parks, back alleys and green spaces around your own neighbourhoods.
Sun, June 8 | 3pm talk, 4pm walk | MOV, 1100 Chestnut | $22 | DETAILS

ITALIAN DAY | Italian Day takes over Commercial Drive this Sunday. Hooray for car free street parties! 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, a display of classic cars and the occasional impromptu bocce game and you have a solidly inspired Sunday. Celebrate everything ‘Made in Italy,’ from inventions to food. “Italy’s unmatched sense of style will be the centrepiece at this year’s event” so expect a focus on that distinctive Italian flare. Festival organizers will install a large, walk-through museum exhibit to show off some of the most profound Italian inventions (items such as the piano, radio, telephone, bicycle, eyeglasses, and – most important of all – the coffee machine). Remember to leave the car at home, as driving hereabouts will be impossible.
Sun, June 8 | 12pm-8pm | Commercial Drive (Venables to Grandview) | 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 (do, however, note that Sean Orr and NEEDS play the Cobalt on Thursday night). 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 5-8 | 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 (ie. not on the flatscreen). They organize Vancouver artists and performers to put on intimate live shows in multiple private residences (porches, backyards, garages, kitchens, living rooms) in the Victoria Drive and Napier area. 2014 is the 11th year of this community-driven (and hosted) event. 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 6-8 | Various times and locations around Napier & Victoria | $various | DETAILS

EAT LOCAL | Grab locally grown produce from good people at your neighbourhood farmer’s market while you still can. You won’t want to look back and wish that you had made it to more markets!
Main Street Thornton Park | Wednesday | 3pm–7pm | Main Street Station at Terminal | DETAILS
Oak Street | Wednesdays | 3-7pm | Oak and 49th | DETAILS
Yaletown | May 29 | 2-6pm | Mainland between Davie & Helmcken DETAILS
Trout Lake | May 31 | 9am-2pm | North Parking Lot, John Hendry Park | DETAILS
West End | May 31 | 9am-2pm | 1100 Block of Comox (across from Nelson Park) | DETAILS
Kits | June 1 | 10am-2pm | 2690 Larch @ 10th | DETAILS
Main Street | June 4 | 3pm-7pm | 1100 Block Main (Thornton Park) | DETAILS
Lonsdale Quay | Saturdays | 10am-3pm | East Plaza 123 Carrie Cates Court, North Van | DETAILS
Ambleside | Sundays | 10am-3pm | 1500 Bellevue (between 15th & 16th), West Van | 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 streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy (but faithful) camera.

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