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!

COOK | Fiddleheads, asparagus, peas, and fresh greens — there’s so much goodness popping up through the ground right now and more is on the way! Hit the DTES for a demonstration style cooking class aimed at inspiring cooking with vegetables and make the most of the season. Expect to learn how to make beet soup (lovely both hot or cold); spring fresh salad; parsnip & carrot fries; and a hearty chickpea and tomato stew. Not only do participants start off with a glass of wine and a piece of savoury toast, but they also get to taste everything made during the class.
Wed, May 18 | 6-9 pm | The Uncommon Cafe (477 Powell St) | DETAILS

SWIM | Outdoor public pools finally catch up to the warm weather this weekend.  Kits, New Brighton, and Second Beach – there are lovely, deep and cool public swimming pools in every across the city and they all open their gates this weekend. Information on swimming schedules and admission fees can be found here, but generally speaking swimming starts at noon and goes on until 8:30pm every day (with a 7am start kicking in toward the middle of June). Pro-tip: the early bird scores the best towel real estate. DETAILS

BLACK MOUNTAIN | Local rockers Black Mountain play a hometown show this weekend and it’s going to be good times. Supporting the release of their most recent album IV, the band has just returned from Europe and are now heading south to tour the US, so it’ll be nice for them to see some familiar faces and feel the local love.  Grab some friends and hustle down the The Commodore Ballroom for a cold beer, some fine music and a little bit of time on that fantastically bouncy dance floor. Door open at 8pm and we suggest you make a point of getting in early to catch opening act Ashely Shadow (trust us on this one).
Sat, May 21 | 8pm | Commodore Ballroom (868 Granville St.) | $23.50 | DETAILS

BALLET | Coastal City Ballet takes the stage of the Vancouver Playhouse to perform Swan Lake this Saturday night. Set to a sublime score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and executed with precision under the direction of choreographer Irene Schneider, the ballet tells the the story of Odette, a beautiful princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer’s curse (as sorcerers do). Lucky thing she wasn’t turned in to a slug or something less elegant as swans lend well to  a graceful performance! This is a one night only show, so jump on tickets and get your fancy shoes out for a night of culture.
Sat, May 21 | Vancouver Playhouse Theatre | Tickets $25-$45 | DETAILS

TRIBUTE | If it has taken a little while for the reality to set in and you’re finally ready to accept that Prince is gone but still feel you need to mark his passing personally, consider hitting the Rio Theatre Friday night for a screening of Purple Rain. From The Rio: “For so many of us, Prince defined our 1980s experience through his music, his style, his image, and maybe most of all with his utterly indelible, electric turn in PURPLE RAIN…The film was a box office hit when it was released in 1984 and possessed a phenomenal soundtrack (including Oscar-winner ‘When Doves Cry’) that many consider his signature work, spawning numerous hit singles that would dominate airwaves for years to come. There is no better way for to toast, honour, and celebrate this creative, charismatic, and totally uncompromising musical genius than with PURPLE RAIN on the big screen and with big sound – the way it’s meant to be seen.”
Fri, May 20 | Doors 8:30/Movie 9pm | The Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway) | $12 | DETAILS

EXPLORE | Clear Saturday morning for some east side hang time. Start out at Trout Lake for crepes at the Trout Lake Farmers Market (obvs. bring a backpack along and to pick up ingredients for dinner while you’re at it). Before you leave the park, follow the trail around the lake – it only takes 15 minutes and a little bit of nature is a good starting point for a grounded weekend. It’s a 10 minute walk from Trout Lake over to The Drive. Grab coffee (you can’t walk a full city block on The Drive between Broadway and Venables without passing a coffee shop) and spend some time in a bookstore (Peoples Co-Op, Pulp Fiction and Canterbury Tales are all good options). If you feel peckish, La Mezcalaria does a kickass brunch and  La Grotta Del Formaggio will make you a mean Italian deli sandwich that will transport nicely to a nearby park. For more ideas of what to get up to while you’re on the Eastside, check out our East Van or Commercial Drive Hoods guides.

NATURE | Ever wander around the trails of the Endowment Lands and wonder about all the plants that you come across? Hit the Natural History of our Temperate Rainforests walk out at UBC this weekend and bring yourself up to speed on all of those curious weeds, shrubs, bushes and trees. Biologist David Cook will lead participants through trails and forest on campus to talk about the ecological roles and relationships between plants and their environments and why the protection of wild spaces is important. Get to know the place you live!
Sat, May 21 | 10:15am | Beaty Biodiversity Museum (2212 Main Mall, UBC) | DETAILS

CHILL | Stuck in town for the long weekend and wishing you had made plans to be somewhere else? Take yourself down to The West End for a night of jazz and cocktails at The Bayside Lounge in The Sands Hotel – not quite a vacation, but you will feel transported elsewhere. With its 80’s vibe, sunken bar in the middle of the room, and view of the ocean visible through wrap-around windows, this Vancouver hideaway has the magical ability to take you to an alternate universe. Throw in some live jazz and a Long Island iced tea and you’re golden! Black Gardenia plays the Bayside on Sunday night: “With their unique, darkly-relaxed blend of vintage jazz, country, folk and blues from the 20s, 30s and 40s, Black Gardenia takes listeners on a journey to an age where cool meant classy and noir was the norm.” Monday is a holiday, so make Sunday night count!
Sun, May 22 | 7-9pm | The Bayside Lounge @ The Sands Hotel (1755 Davie St) | DETAILS

RELAX | This is a long weekend. Your primary responsibility to yourself should be to find some time to kick back. Take a hike, plan brunch with family or friends, clean the garage – whatever it is that you’ve been meaning to get to but couldn’t manage to fit in to the skimpy two day weekends of yore. For brunch, we’ve got a fine list of some of Vancouver’s better options here.

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.