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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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!

GET OUTSIDE | Vancouver’s landscape has shifted into full-on spring overdrive. Blue skies have returned, birds are singing, light is changing – the city is coming alive again. So take some time to slow down and appreciate the here of the now with a spell of fresh air. Iona Beach Regional Park in Richmond (just north of the Vancouver International Airport) is my go-to at this time of year — a beautiful stretch of sandy shoreline that spreads toward the sea at the mouth of the Fraser River. In addition to walking the beach (when the tide is out it goes on forever!) there’s a walkable breakwater to conquer. And, if beaches aren’t your thing, you can walk the raised boardwalk and gentle footpaths through marsh areas and check out log booms on the river.
Iona Beach Regional Park | MAP

OCEAN WISE | The Vancouver Aquarium and Naramata Bench Wineries Association are joining forces this weekend to hold Wine For Waves, a fundraising event for Ocean Wise, the “Vancouver Aquarium conservation program created to educate and empower consumers about the issues surrounding sustainable seafood.” Wine For Waves will offer Vancouverites a first taste of many spring release wines paired with seafoods from some amazingly talented local chefs. Good food and wine for a good cause!
Thu, April 28 | 7pm | Four Seasons Hotel | 791 West Georgia St | $115 | DETAILS

IMAGINE | Have you always wanted to visit Turkey? Skip the travel time, plane ticket and hotel and hustle over to Parker Street Studios this Friday night for a reasonable facsimile: One Night In Byzantium is a one night Middle Eastern themed market complete with live Turkish music, a wine bar, exotic food, and stunning textiles. From event organizers: “Suzy Baker opened up a textile studio in Istanbul in 2001 and began sourcing a unique collection of vintage and rare carpets, rugs and hand-woven textiles that she found in small villages and local markets throughout Turkey and the old Silk Road countries. The full collection – including many unique soft furnishings made in a contemporary style from repurposed textiles will be on display and priced reasonable for sale.”
Fri, April 29 | 6-10pm | 1000 Parker Street Studios | DETAILS

ART | Andy Dixon: Expensive Things opens at Winsor Gallery this week. As Interview Magazine puts it: “Based in Vancouver, Andy Dixon makes brightly coloured paintings that recall Fauvist sensibility, with subjects that draw on a range of art historical tropes, like reclining nude females, still lives of flowers, and Renaissance royal portraiture. Specific choices like line treatment, composition, and a certain seeming self-consciousness about his historical sources make Dixon’s work fresh.” We love Andy’s work. Check it out with us on Saturday, April 30th from 2-4pm (show continues to May 24th).
Sat, April 30 | Winsor Gallery (258 East 1st Ave) | DETAILS

SHOP | If you think your spring wardrobe could use a bit of a refresh but your bank account disagrees, consider hitting the Spring Remix Used Clothing Market at The Toast Collective this Saturday. The quaint, multi-purpose space in the Fraserhood will be full of gently used and awesomely stylish duds for super cheap. Also, beer.
Sat, April 30 | 12-5pm | The Toast Collective (648 Kingsway) | DETAILS

WILDCRAFT | Bring yourself up to speed on how to gather wild plants for food and medicine during a day long workshop with Aboriginal Herbalist Lori Snyder and Camille Flanjak of MuseumEats. Learn what’s safe to pick and when it’s best to pick it, as well as how to prepare your foraged edibles and what they’ll do for you once you’ve gobbled them up. Also learn about laws, land, and conservation as well as conscientious collection practices, harvesting for optimum quality and sustainability, and the culture and politics surrounding food security and foraging. Wildcrafting happens in secret locations, but think Sea-to-Sky views aplenty. Meet and drop-off are scheduled at a central location in East Van and transportation to foraging sites is factored into time and price. A steal at only $65 per person.
Sun, May 1 | 9:30am-5pm | Secret locations | $65 | DETAILS

SCIENCE | Head out to UBC and hit the the Beaty Biodiversity Museum for their Way Cool Biodiversity series and a lecture about what makes penguins so cool. From the Museum: “Your first thought of penguins are probably the tuxedo clad, icy explorers of the south pole, but they are so much more! So what makes a penguin a penguin? Join Ildiko Szabo, Assistant Curator of the Cowan Tetrapod Collection, for this hands-on look at nine species of penguins from the museum’s collection”. Picking up a little extra knowledge about the natural world is only ever going to work to your advantage, plus everyone loves a spot of good penguin trivia, right?
Sun, May 1 | 1pm | UBC Biodiversity Museum | Free with admission | DETAILS

MAKE | Strathcona’s London Field Shoppe hosts a rad-sounding piñata workshop this weekend. Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner and observance can only be improved a piñata is added. From London Fields: “Choose from a variety of shapes including a taco, letter, cake slice or go it alone and get creative! Students will create their very own custom piñata to take home to fill with their choice of sweets and treats! Perfect for both adults and teens. All materials are included.” Throw in a few margaritas and you’re golden!
Sun, May 1 | 10-1pm | London Fields Shoppe (692 East Hastings St.) | $40 | DETAILS

VINYL | Nothing sounds quite like vinyl. If you need any convincing, head to the Main Street Vinyl Record Fair this weekend to immerse yourself in a sea of vinyl lovers buying, selling or trading new and used records. You can talk old school stereo equipment, wear your old concert t’s, and marvel at the fact that there are people still fetishizing cassette tapes. Get into it. You might even exit a convert.
Sun, May 1 | 11am-5pm | Heritage Hall (3102 Main St.) | $4 at the door | DETAILS

KISSA TANTO | The highly anticipated opening of Kissa Tanto in Chinatown should go down this week. We were able to check it out for a friends-and-family preview and were pretty much blown away. Take a look inside here and keep track of developments via their Twitter handle, @kissatanto.
Imminent | 263 Pender St. in Chinatown | DETAILS

Transition Into 2024 with Some Quality Downtime

From our calendar to yours comes this carefully considered agenda of cool things we are doing, wishing we could do, or conspiring to do in Vancouver, from now until January 8th, 2024.

Scout List, Vol. 601

From our calendar to yours comes this carefully considered agenda of cool things we are doing, wishing we could do, or conspiring to do in Vancouver, right now.

Scout List, Vol. 600

From our calendar to yours comes this carefully considered agenda of cool things we are doing, wishing we could do, or conspiring to do in Vancouver, from March 30th to April 5th, 2023.

Scout List, Vol. 599

From our calendar to yours comes this carefully considered agenda of cool things we are doing, wishing we could do, or conspiring to do in Vancouver over the days and weeks ahead.