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, from our calendar to yours!

LAUNCH  | When it comes to tasty plant-based goodness, our friend Erin Ireland is an authority. So when she fell for Portland chef Dana Shultz’s new cookbook, Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cookingwe made a point of checking it out. Published by Random House and packed full of plant-based recipes (requiring 30 minutes or less, 1 bowl or 1 pot, or 10 ingredients or less to prepare), it’s a book that everyone should have in their kitchen. Get familiar with the author this week at a book signing event at Nourish Kitchen. Although the cooking demo portion of this evening sold out in a heartbeat, there’s still a chance to slip in post-demo to pick up a cookbook, have it signed by the author, and connect with a bunch of cool people in a stunner of a space.
Thu, Aug 4 | 6:30pm | 3742 W 10th Ave | Free | DETAILS

GIG | Local punk band Needs play the Biltmore Thursday night. Also taking the stage: Maniac, Sex Crime & Sore Points. Loud, Loud music. Early pre-gig snacks at Savio Volpe or Crowbar (mmm, that burger) and an after-show wander down Main Street to Brassneck for a beer and you’ve got yourself an amazingly well-rounded evening.
Thu, Aug 4 | 7pm | Biltmore Cabaret (2755 Prince Edward St.) | $10 | DETAILS

OPENING | Bows & Arrows has officially made the jump across from Vancouver Island. Their sleek new cafe and restaurant launches in the Fraserhood this week. These guys roast some of the best beans in British Columbia, so it’s great to see them getting into the cafe game! Get in before everyone else does.
7 days | 4194 Fraser Street | 7:30am-10pm | 4194 Fraser | DETAILS

SAND | KitsFest happens this weekend. This three day festival focuses on all the sports that go down at the beach. Accordingly, there will be basketball, tennis and volleyball, as well as sunset beach yoga, some beach spinning, and an open house at the Kitsilano Yacht Club (Saturday only). Be sure to take water, sunscreen and snacks, and expect parking to be in short supply. When you get tired, hungry and thirsty, we recommend you refuel up Yew St. at Lucky Taco or Nook.
Aug 5-7 | All day | Kitsilano Beach | DETAILS

PARTY | This is moving weekend for the French Sisters (The Pie Shoppe, Panoramic Roasters) and to celebrate taking over their new digs at 1875 Powell St. in East Van, the two women have planned an epic taco party on Friday night. Fill up on tacos (braised meat & veggie), guzzle some beer, have a boozy pop (cash bar), and talk shop with some clever people. These two women are good eggs and we expect this will be a fine crowd.
Fri, Aug 5 | 7pm-late | 1875 Powell St.| DETAILS

POP-UP | So if the Pie Shoppe is moving, what’s happening to their adorable Chinatown shop? Annabelle Choi, that’s what! Hustle down to the tiny Gore Ave. space all month and score yourself a cup of coffee along with Annabelle’s matcha coconut pound cake or a spelt oat fruit scone topped with berries and stone fruit. Alternatively, kick back with a slice of pesto sourdough slab pizza or dig right in with a bread-making workshop. All of these things will be on offer in August, and more.  With a pedigree that includes stints at San Francisco bakeries Craftsman & Wolves and Tartine, not to mention numerous pop-ups and special events around town, Choi is experienced, versatile, and we love the possibility that with each pop-up we see her participate in she might be inching closer to claiming a permanent kitchen of her own. Plus, have you seen this girl smile? It’s worth the trip!
Aug 4 – Aug. 31 | Tuesdays-Sundays | Open 9am-sell out | 721 Gore Ave. | DETAILS

ART | Get yourself to the Hot Art Wet City gallery for Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down, an exhibition that takes an inquisitive look at how nostalgia serves as a point of reference for both identity and art. From the gallery: “The six local artists explore how memory provides an ongoing context for all of our thoughts and ideas, despite paradoxically being an unreliable source of information. Drawing from their own individual memories, they aim to find vestiges of the past hiding in the darkest corners of the present.” HWAC throws a good reception, so scoot in and mingle with artists, their friends and family, other art lovers and a few random people who were walking by and couldn’t help but be drawn to the magic as well.
Fri, Aug 5 | 7-11pm | 2206 Main @ 6th | DETAILS

FEAST | The first annual YVR Food Fest happens this weekend. The festival kicks-off with a launch party at The Fox on Friday night (wine, cocktails, canapés and music to set the tone for the weekend) and gets serious on Saturday and Sunday with Street Food Showdown; a gathering of some of Vancouver’s most interesting food carts, wineries, and breweries. The massive, two-day tasting will demonstrate the city’s range and talent with music and (fingers crossed) sunshine. There are way too many players to mention here, but it’s safe to say your faves will be on site. Numerous ticketing options are available depending on the size of your stomach (more on that here). And the weekend finishes with an interesting line-up of speakers for Food For Thought at Science World on Sunday night (more on that next).
Aug 5-7 | 12-8pm | Olympic Village (215 West 1st Ave) | $10-$60 | DETAILS | DETAILS

FOOD FOR THOUGHT | Like Ted Talks, only about food. Presenters include Globe & Mail food critic Alexandra Gill, Faculty Brewing’s Maurico Lozano, wine guy Kurtis Kolt, Fable Kitchen’s Trevor Bird, Scout Magazine’s Andrew Morrison, Let’s Cooking author Hana Etsuko Dethlefsen, Foodline Radio host Annika Reinhardt, Holistic Nutritionist Kristin Price, and Exile Bistro’s Vanessa Bourget. Organiser Danny Fazio: “We’re inviting people that we consider to be truly contributing to our society though food. We wanted to create an event that’s fun and engaging, but at the same time addresses the real issues food culture creators are facing.” It’s going to be a fun, compelling, informative evening, folks. We’ll see you there.
Sun. Aug 7 | 6pm – 10pm | Omnimax Theatre (Science World) | $24 | DETAILS

ENGAGE | Artful Sundays take shape on Commercial Drive this month. Wander by to check out works by local artists, listen to live music, take part in a mini-workshop, or enjoy a demonstration. It’s free, fun and close to lots of good coffee and sidewalk patio situations ideal for reflecting and watching the world go by.
Sun, Aug 7 (through to Sept 4) | 12-5pm | Napier Greenway (Commercial @ Napier)| DETAILS

WATERFIGHT | Remember how fun it was to rip around the neighbourhood bombing your pals with squirt guns and water balloons in the summers of your childhood? Relive some of that fun in Stanley Park this weekend with a massive flashmob style water fight. The Tenth Annual Vancouver Waterfight starts at 1pm and if you need any convincing, there’s some pretty compelling footage from previous years over here. Lots of guidelines to be followed to ensure everyone has fun and stays out of jail (nakedness is not officially encouraged). Follow up on fine print here.
Sat, Aug 6 | 1pm | Lumbermans Arch, in Stanley Park | Free | DETAILS

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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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