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!

SLOW DOWN | December is here, so things are about to get hectic. Traffic, social engagements, shopping…the general velocity of the city jumps up a few notches this month, so pace yourself. Take a few hours out to wander one of Vancouver’s beaches. No one will be there, and we have lots of them to choose from. Plus they’re free. Remember free? Solitude, clear water and sand softened by rain is the best present you can give yourself this time of year. Note: a flask or thermos of something warming is a nice touch.
Everyday | Anytime | Shorelines and seawalls around the city | Free

CIDER | The good folks at Chinatown’s Bestie officially start pouring their own cider from the tap on Wednesday. Back in 2013, the restaurant’s owners, Dane Brown and Clinton McDougall, joined forces with longtime friend Patrick Connelly and started down the road towards making their own craft cider. Their company, Sunday Cider, presses 100% organic cider and dessert apples grown in the Similkameen Valley. I can’t wait to try!
“First Press” pouring at Bestie starting Wednesday | 105 East Pender | DETAILS

WRITE | If there’s one month of the year when the Regional Assembly of Text Letter Writing Club is a must, it’s got to be this one. If you’ve never heard of it before, the wonderful Main Street store sports a brilliant collection of books, paper, cards, stamps, chalkboards, boxes, and – yes – even clothing. On the first Thursday of every month they host a Letter Writing Club that’s free and open to everyone with supplies provided. Don’t leave your Christmas Card until the last minute. Get ‘em done here and in the mail early!
Thu, Dec 3 | 7:30pm | Regional Assembly of Text (3934 Main) | Free | DETAILS

MOVE | Lace up some skates and take a spin around the ice at Robson Square Ice Rink this week. It’s free (if you have your own skates), fun, and centrally located.  The rink – complete with swirling lights, music and concession stand hot chocolate – is a great means to jump start your winter spirit. Don’t forget a pair of nice thick gloves and a pocket full of loonies for your helmet and skate rental.
7 days | 9am – 9pm (Fri & Sat until 11pm) | Robson Square | Free (skates/helmet $4) | DETAILS

LISTEN | How about a little classical music to set the tone for your weekend? Hustle down to the Orpheum on Friday night to catch the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra perform with violinist Sarah Chang,whom the VSO calls “one of the most exciting violinists on the scene today.” Chang will play Dvorak’s Violin Concerto, and conductor Pietari Inkinen will lead the orchestra in a performance of Tchaikovsky’s epic Symphony No. 4.
Fri, Dec 5 | 8pm | The Orpheum (601 Smithe St) | $ varies | DETAILS

READ | Slow down and take some time out with a good book. This weekend is the Friends of the Vancouver Public Library Winter Book Sale. Cruise through table upon table of titles in the promenade area of Library Square and leave loaded up with a solid assortment of winter reads perfect for afternoons in front of the fire (if you don’t have a fireplace, say hello to Bacchus Lounge).
Dec 3-5 | 10am-5pm | Vancouver Public Library (350 W. Georgia) | DETAILS

SUPPORT LOCAL | Not all craft fairs are created equal. Right near the top of the lot is Toque at the Western Front. The curation standard is high. Expect to find work by top notch Vancouver artists and designers…think stunning leather goods by Erin Templeton and Andrea Wong; jewellery, mirrors, ornaments by Henderson Dry Goods; ceramics by Maggie Boyd and Gailan Ngan; mobiles by Warm & Drift; all manner of socks and stockings by Strathcona Stockings, knitwear by Hendrik Lou, cotton towels and blankets by Sunday Dry Goods, dreamily aromatic Woodlot candles; and books from Simply Read. There will also be jam, caramel, cocktails and other treats. Seriously, don’t miss this one.
Fri, Dec 4 (6-10pm) Sat + Sun, Dec 5 + 6 (11am-5pm) | Western Front (303 East 8th Ave) | DETAILS

SCIENCE | Head out to UBC and hit the the Beaty Biodiversity Museum for their Way Cool Biodiversity series this Sunday and a lecture about what makes underwater sounds so cool. From the Museum: “The sea is a noisy place! Many fish communicate using sounds as well as visible displays. Even fishes that don’t make sounds can use their acoustic environment (the “soundscape”) to determine their location relative to spawning and feeding grounds, potential predators, competitors, and obstacles. This depends on a fish’s hearing ability, but sounds can be masked by noises of shipping and shore-based operations such as pile-driving. Marine biologist Dr. Abby Schwarz will present an overview of sounds in the sea, using recordings of sounds made by fishes, earthquakes, shipping, killer whales, and more.” Picking up a little extra knowledge about the natural world is only ever going to work to your advantage — if not in practical application, at least it will amp up your conversational entertainment value at cocktail parties.
Sun, Dec 6 | 1pm | UBC Biodiversity Museum | Free with $12 admission | DETAILS

CREATE | East Vancouver’s Artech Gallery runs a series of hands-on workshops designed to promote creativity and community, the latest in the Art History series, a weaving with artist and stylist Mia Fiddis, takes place this Sunday. Put aside an afternoon to learn how to design and hand weave your own wall hanging, connect with some cool people, and leave with a wooden loom kit so that you can keep on creating at home. All materials (and some light refreshments) provided.
Sun, Dec 6 | 4-7pm | Artech Gallery (336 East 1st Avenue) | $100 | DETAILS

SANTA | The annual Santa Claus Parade rips through downtown Vancouver streets this Sunday. The procession of holiday cheer will start at West Georgia and Broughton, travel east along West Georgia, and turn south on Howe before finishing at Howe and Davie. Scout tip: be prepared! The coffee shops along the parade route boast line-ups of epic lengths before, during, and after the parade, so take your coffee, eggnog, hot chocolate, or whatever else with you in a stainless steel thermos or flask. This is a good day to avoid driving through the downtown core!
Sun, Dec. 6 | 1-3pm | Downtown Vancouver | Free | DETAILS

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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