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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. To submit an event for consideration, email events [at] scoutmagazine.ca You can also check it out in the Globe & Mail, from our calendar to theirs…and yours!

JAZZ | The Vancouver International Jazz Festival is on.  With scores of concerts scheduled, from Sonny Rollins and Dal Richards to Fond of Tigers and Troyka, the full range of Jazz is represented. Many shows are free and with daytime and evening performances hitting stages and fresh air venues all over the city, there’s likely something going on that will be absolutely perfect for you. Narrow things down with a game plan by flipping through the long list of what’s going on here.
Now – July 1 | Various times and venues | Various Prices – but many free | DETAILS

MOVIE | There’s an Indiana Jones Trilogy Marathon at The Rio Theatre on Friday night. Yup, you can dig in for over six hours of awesome adventure. We’re talking Raiders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, and The Last Crusade back to back to back. Add a grilled cheese and a cold beer and there’s no reason to leave until well after midnight.
Fri, June 19 | 7pm till late | Rio Theatre (1660 E Broadway) | $8-$12 | DETAILS

POP-UP | Want some Tofino time but don’t have the vacation hours banked? Get a quick fix at the Surfers & Makers market on Clark Drive this weekend. Friday’s opening night art exhibition features the works of 5 Tofitian artists (as well as beer from Tofino Brewery and a visit from the Tacofino truck) while Saturday and Sunday bring a pop-up market with a surf theme (expect everything from soap, ceramics and woodwork to swimwear and t-shirts).
June 19 -21 | Various times | 580 Clark Drive Vancouver | DETAILS

ART | 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 is afoot. Not only will there be performers, dancers, musicians, and other creative artists leading workshops and tours focused on the theme of ‘Time’, but grown-ups can also take advantage of this opportunity to check out the sweet line-up of new exhibitions. The astoundingly beautiful Of Heaven & Earth: 500 Years of Italian Painting from Glasgow Museum; Geoffrey Farmer’s How Do I Fit This Ghost in My Mouth?; and Residue: The Persistence of the Real (recent work by contemporary artists, including Stan Douglas, Babak Golkar and Amie Siegel) have all recently opened and each show is compelling for its own reasons. Kids under 12 get in free with a paying adult and everyone has a thought provoking and aesthetically pleasing time. Yay art!
Sat–Sun, June 20+21 | 10am–5pm | Vancouver Art Gallery (750 Hornby St) | $22.50 | DETAILS

NATURE | Some of the oldest trees in the city grow in Stanley Park. A few of them are hundreds upon hundreds of years old. Just imagine the challenges they’ve survived (lightning, fire, wind storms, logging, raves), not to mention the things they’ve seen, pleasure they’ve provided, and the forest life they’ve sheltered. The good people of The Stanley Park Ecology Society have lined up a full weekend of events celebrating these trees. Take a guided tour, attend a talk, listen to some story telling, or witness some professional tree climbing.
June 20 + 21 | Various times | Lost Lagoon Nature House, Stanley Park | DETAILS

CREATE | Get your pencils ready because this weekend welcomes the Vancouver Draw Down. On Saturday, from Marpole straight down to Gastown and UBC clear across to East Van, close to 40 free hands-on drawing workshops are set to pop-up at community centres, galleries, museums, and parks. Get silly with drawing some ‘mongrel vegetables’ in Chinatown; take part in a massive three-dimensional line drawing using strands of colourful plastic and polyester scraps in Mount Pleasant; sketch elements of nature at the Renfrew Ravine; or indulge your love of food with Food Inspired Picture-Stories out at UBC. For a full list of events and locations, check out the festival website here. Remember, Draw Down isn’t about getting it perfect, it’s about the fun that can be had with a blank piece of paper and a pencil, crayon, pen, piece of chalk, paintbrush and so on…
Sat, June 20 | Various times and locations | Free | DETAILS

PARK THE CAR | Always a sure sign of summer, Car Free Day hits the streets this weekend. Some neighbourhoods cast out cars on Saturday, some on Sunday. Expect live music, spoken-word performances, dancing, street hockey, more live music, bike and skateboard demos, good food, cold drink, a little bit of roller disco, some locally made trinkets, and generally happy people roaming the pavement in place of automobiles. More information over here, but the short version is as follows:
COMMERCIAL | Sun, June 21 | Venables to Grandview | 12pm-7pm | DETAILS
MAIN STREET | Sun | between Broadway & 30th | 12pm-7pm | DETAILS?
WEST END | Sat, June 20 | Denman from Robson to Davie | 12pm-7pm | DETAILS
?KITS | Kits likes the idea of Car Free Day too, but rather than shut down 4th Ave, expect individual block parties in the hood on Saturday & Sunday| DETAILS

GO SKATEBOARDING DAY | There are so many ways to mark Go Skateboarding Day. Take a solo ride or session with some pals, make a first attempt, stop by Antisocial to get outfitted with a new board, or hit one of the many skateparks around the city. For an organized event, make it to The Plaza (below the Georgia Viaduct at Union and Quebec) at noon for a skate comp and jam, Strathcona Park at 5pm for a BBQ and, if you’ve still got steam, finish the day with a short boarding video premier at The Rio Theatre on Broadway (9pm). Even if you don’t skate, this is a fine time to take a seat on the sidelines and appreciate the art form from a spectator’s perspective.
Sun, June 21 | All Day / Everywhere | Free | DETAILS

FISH  | Whether you’re an old pro or are picking up a rod for the first time since childhood, this is the weekend to go fishing. Head for a stretch of coastline (or your favourite beach, lake, river or pier) with a free three-day fishing licence compliments of the Federal and Provincial Government in recognition of Family Fishing Weekend. Kick back to enjoy a quiet afternoon of casting a line without forking over the dough (or getting in trouble for not…). Perfectly timed to coincide with Fathers Day, this could also be a great way to spend some quality time with Dad.
June 19-21 | lakes and non-tidal streams everywhere in BC | Free | DETAILS

GARDEN PARTY | Do yourself a favour and get yourself to Le Marché St. George this Saturday for an evening of oysters, sausage and wine in the garden behind the charming neighbourhood market and coffee shop. Expect D-Original Sausages, oysters by Curious Oyster, and perfectly paired wine from BC Wine Studio along with a beautiful setting, compelling conversation and laughter. Proceeds go towards the construction of a neighbourhood playgroundfor local kids to enjoy. Little ones with good places to play end up being better humans, and that’s something everyone should want to get behind!
Sat, June 20 | 7:30pm | Le Marché St George (E 28th Ave @ St George) | $85 | DETAILS

SOLSTICE | Dinner on a beach, an evening hike, cold beer on a deck or building daisy chain crowns in a park – whatever tickles your fancy, you’ve got the maximum hours of daylight to do it this weekend. On Sunday the sun rises at 5:07am and doesn’t set until 9:22pm That’s 16hrs and 15 min of daylight, and that’s reason to celebrate. If you’re looking for something more involved than pausing to appreciate the sunset, consider hooking yourself up with a visit to Summer Solstice in Mountain View Cemetery (Sunday, 7-9:30pm) for a musical performance that celebrates circle of life, death, and renewal (details here).
Sun, June 21 | All Day | Everywhere | Free

To submit an event for consideration, email events [at] scoutmagazine.ca 

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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