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!

GIN + JUICE | Get yourself to Gastown’s Nouvelle Nouvelle this Thursday night for an evening inspired by Snoop Dog’s classic jam “Gin+Juice”. The shop isn’t just having a sale (20-40% off) of their very beautiful men’s and women’s clothing lines. They’ve also asked Odd Society bartender Matt Cooke to bring some gin over to their shop to make some drinks with fresh, cold-pressed juices from The Juice Truck. The whole shopping / cocktail experience will go down with an old school hip hop soundtrack and a room full of solid people. Plus, it could be an interesting experiment in whether or not the nutritional value of the cold pressed juice can cancel out the naughty gin. Because science is good, right?
Thu, July 24 | 6-10pm | Nouvelle Nouvelle (209 Abbott St.) | DETAILS

PRECISION | Chef and “knife-nerd” Kevin Kent is in town to entice you with fine quality Japanese knives. Knifewear opens at The Chinatown Experiment this week. Head down to 434 Columbia St. to handle, hear about and drool over a line-up of hundreds of knives from more than 40 of the best Japanese knife brands. Also on hand: a selection of supporting artifacts like chef-curated cookbooks, cutting boards, and kitchen gadgets. “Cooking is the new rock and roll,” Kent says. “And the new black leather pants are Japanese knives.” Heck yeah they are.
Now through July 27 | 11am – 7pm | 434 Columbia St. | DETAILS

RESTAURANT RUMBLE | The event of the month goes down this Wednesday. The charity boxing showdown organized by the Aprons for Gloves Boxing Association is pitting Vancouver’s bussers against its barbers and its cooks against its bartenders. It happens in two parts: “Undercard Fights” go down in the afternoon (3:30-6:30pm) followed by the Title Fights in the evening (7-10pm). At three 3-minute rounds per, Title Fights go down fast. Boxers go glove to glove without headgear or shirts and title belts are on the line. This event is sold out, but the resourceful enthusiast will be able to get hands on tickets through darker channels. Also, this event will also be live streamed at The Bottleneck on Granville Street.
Wed, July 23 | 3:30 & 7pm | SFU Woodward | 149 W. Hastings | Various $ | DETAILS

AFTER HOURS | How cool would it be to hang out at the Vancouver Aquarium after hours? No view-hogging children or toe-crunching strollers, just gentle darkness with the soothing sounds of water and jellyfish. This Wednesday night brings just such an opportunity: After Hours is an evening of engaging awesomeness set inside the Aquarium. Guests can enjoy wine, beer and a little scientific talk, a show about caring for Dolphins, a film, and a spin in the wet lab where they can touch invertebrates like sea stars and urchins. So civilized. Tickets are selling fast; try Craigslist or FB if you can’t score directly from the Aquarium.
Wed, July 23 | 6:30-10pm | Vancouver Aquarium | Stanley Park | $25 | DETAILS

GO GREEN | Earthsave Canada offers a free talk on the benefits of plant-based diets at Robson Square on Thursday night. If you’re interested in shifting your diet to include more plants think about attending to hear what physician, author, and speaker Michael Greger can tell you about the latest in plant-based nutrition and health research. This event is open to the public on a first come first serve basis.
Fri, July 25 | 7pm | UBC Robson Square (800 Robson St) | Free | DETAILS

MORBID CURIOUSITY | Stanley Park might be a serene aggregate of quiet forest paths with a inviting coastline, but like many beautiful things, it has a dark side. This weekend is your chance to get the scoop on some of the park’s shady past including murders, suicides, park cemeteries and burial places, treasure, shipwrecks, drownings, and what can only be described as mysterious incidences – if you’re in to that sort of thing.
Sat, July 26 | 1-3pm | Lost Lagoon Nature House | $10 | DETAILS

PICK-YOUR-OWN | It’s blueberry season! Farmers markets and local grocery stores are loaded with them, but picking your own is a fun summer activity. Head toward Ladner/Delta and out to Westham Island (directions). Once you cross the wooden planked bridge to the soft roads lined by long grass and foxgloves, you’ll find fantastic u-pick berry farms and roadside egg and vegetable stands. Take your own buckets for easy post-picking transportation.
Emma Lea Farms | Daily 10am – 6pm | 2727 Westham Island Rd. (Ladner) | DETAILS

PRIDE | Vancouver Pride is gearing up. This weekend watch out for the Pride Walk & Run (starting AND finishing at Brockton Oval in Stanley Park with disco water stations in between) as well as Pride picnic (a family friendly event that will involve all manner of games like volleyball, tug-of-war, watermelon eating and a high-heel shoe toss). The main event – Pride Parade – goes down next Sunday, but between now and then there are numerous events to take in.
Now through Sun, August 3 | Various times and locations | DETAILS

FIREWORKS | Keep in mind that Celebration of Light fireworks (aka Stab Night) start this week (Saturday). First to represent their country with pyrotechnic expression is the United Sates (July 26), followed by France (July 30), and finally, Japan (August 2nd). Plan accordingly, and for crying out loud, don’t try to drive through the West End while the festivities are going down. Also, no knives, please. For serious.
Sat, July 26, 30, August 2 | 10am | English Bay | Free | DETAILS

ROAD TRIP | Wine Country is something pretty right now. If you can slip away for a weekend, consider heading to the stunning Similkameen Valley for an al fresco dinner in a vineyard that will capture everything that’s magical about summer. Think warm air, beautiful light, amazing food, fine conversation, and phenomenal wine. The Orofino 1.6 Mile Dinner offers a five course meal utilizing ingredients gathered from farmers and artisan producers from within a 1.6 mile radius of the Similkameen’s charming Orofino Winery. Preparing the meal will be Cameron Smith and Dana Ewart from Joy Road Catering and Gold Medal Plate-winning Chef Mark Filatow  of Waterfront Wines. Dinner starts with bubbly and canapés at 5:30pm. Contact 250-499-0068 or admin [at] orofinovineyards.com to make your reservations.
Sat, July. 26 | 5:30 | Orofino Strawbale Winery | Cawston, BC | $150 pp | DETAILS 
________

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 streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy (but faithful) camera.

——————————————————————————————–