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! 

SLOW DOWN | We hate to break the bad news, but these are the last days of summer. Grab a malted milkshake or a sundae at Glenburn Soda, hike your way out to Quarry Rock in Deep Cove, pick some blackberries for a homemade blackberry syrup and have a patio cocktail party, swim in a lake, sit on a beach, hang in the park, and basically just drink it all in, folks. Summer doesn’t last forever.

SPACE JAM | Catch some live music at The Bottleneck on Thursday night. Sit back and to listen to local musicians Geoff Berner, Colleen Rennison, Marta McKeever and Bob Sumner and know that you are also racking up karma points. Proceeds from the evening will go to support Sonic Art Space (a new workshop space for kids that will offer alternative music classes taught by local musicians and artists (think Synth For Kids, Lyrics and Songwriting and Sketching with Sound). Sonic Art Space aims to open doors this fall but between now and then they need to amass a serious collection of instruments and this fundraiser is going to help them do that. Sit back, drink a cold beer, listen to some music and enrich the lives of children – one tambourine at a time. That’s a solid Thursday night right there folks.
Thursday,  Aug 21 | 7-11pm | The Bottleneck (870 Granville) | $10 | DETAILS

FILM | Showcasing queer alternatives to mainstream film, the Queer Film Festival takes place in numerous venues around town this week. Anti-homosexuality laws in Russia inspired this year’s “Queer Russia” focus. For a full list of films (and events) have a look here. Closing night is Sunday and final screenings are followed by a party at The Junction Pub (1138 Davie St).
Now through August 24 | Various venues | $12 | DETAILS

FARM | Take a trip out to the UBC Farm on Saturday morning. Not only can you pick up farm grown fruits and veggies at the farmers market (as well as baked goods, preserves, flowers and other treats), but Certified Master Beekeeper Jenny Ma from Vancouver Honeybees will be on site demonstrating how to extract honey from honeycomb. The super excellent news about that is the resultant honey will be jarred right then and there and available for purchase.
Sat, Aug 23 | 9am-1pm | UBC Farm (3461 Ross Dr) | Free | DETAILS

GARLIC FESTIVAL | This weekend is the 6th annual Garlic Fest out at the Terra Nova Sharing Farm in Richmond. Head out to learn about the health benefits and culinary uses of garlic, check out cooking demonstrations, and sample all manner of garlic related goodies (from garlic pizza and garlic bread to pickled garlic scapes and garlic ice cream (not even kidding). Bonus: free admission, free parking, and a bicycle valet.
Sun, Aug. 24 | 10am-3pm | Sharing Farm, Terra Nova Park | Admission by donation | DETAILS

HARVEST | Trust the peeps at your local farmer’s market to arrange for a celebration of peak tomato season. Now’s the time to be harvesting, canning and eating tomatoes, so get yourself to Trout Lake (Saturday) or Kits (Sunday) Farmers Markets to learn about, appreciate, sample and worship the glorious tomato. In addition to fresh from the vine specimens available for you to take home, there will also be displays, tastings, chef tours, seed saving and preserving tips, and – get this – a limited run of tomato basil gelato crafted by Bella Gelateria.
August 23 | 9am-2pm | Trout Lake | North Parking Lot, John Hendry Park | DETAILS
August 24 | 10am-2pm | Kitsilano | Kits Community Centre, 10 & Larch St | DETAILS

ANIME | If you’re walking around downtown this weekend and you notice an uptick in the number of adults kitted out in full-on anime costumes, that’s probably because Anime Revolution is on. The three day event will include exhibits, dancing, gaming, live musical performances, discussion panels, lots of wigs, and a staggering amount of cosplay.
Fri, Aug 21- Sun, Aug 24 | Various times | Vancouver Convention Centre | $35-$200 | DETAILS

DISCOVER | Whether you’re new to the city or just interested in brushing up on local history, a walking tour with the Architectural Institute of British Columbia is awesome. View the personality of the city through the prism of its landmarks, buildings, structures and streets. Learn about  heritage preservation, contemporary and historic architectural styles, the impact urban planning policy has on the evolution of the city, and more. There are six tours in all, each covering a distinct area of the city. Walks include: Chinatown (From yesterday to Today); Gastown (The Historic Beginning of Vancouver); Strathcona (Vancouver’s First Neighbourhood); Yaletown (Industrial Expansion and Evolution); West End (Residential Transformation), and Downtown (The Business Core of Vancouver). AIBC Walking Tours begin at the AIBC office at 440 Cambie Street (@Pender) at 10am and 1pm most days of the week (except Monday and Friday afternoons).
Various days | 10am, 1pm | 440 Cambie Street | $10 | DETAILS

ICE CREAM | Beta5 is having another one of those ice cream socials that your friends have been talking about. On Friday night (from 7 until sunset) and again on Saturday afternoon between 1 & 5 pm, the award-winning East Vancouver chocolate and pastry shop will be serving up ice cream sandwiches, sundaes, floats, and other frozen treats. A trip to Beta5 always yields good things. Indeed, the prospect of a proper sundae built by this team is a mind-blowingly attractive one, and if the window for such an indulgence is only 24hrs wide, it shouldn’t be missed! We went last weekend and can confirm that the line-up is worth the wait!
Fri, 7-sunset | Sat, 1-5pm | 413 Industrial Avenue | Beta5.com

RUN | The Lululemon Seawheeze half marathon happens this weekend. Participation in the run is at capacity, but if you aren’t running you can still cheer from the sidelines (three main cheering stations have been set up to support the 10,015 people registered to run), attend yoga classes, and hit the after-party (Sunset Festival) in Brockton Oval. $25 gets you fresh air yoga, food, and a cold beer.
Sat, Aug 23 | all day (marathon 7am, after party 6-11pm) | DETAILS

CHOW | Food Cart Fest goes down this Sunday. Take advantage of the fact that close to two dozen food trucks will be parked around communal tables ready to feed you. Expect Soho Road, Mom’s Grilled Cheese, Mogu, Roaming Dragon, Vij’s, Yolks, and Tacofino – maybe even The Juice Truck. And the fun doesn’t stop there. There will also be live music, a community market, and all manner of ancillary vendors making it the raddest bit of undeveloped real estate in the city. Food Cart Fest is located between Olympic Village and Cambie St. Bridge.
Sun, Aug 24 | 12-5pm | 215 West 1st Avenue $2 entry charge | DETAILS

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

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