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

 

IMG_2160

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!

TREE HUGGER | Trees provide for us and protect us; they also figure prominently in mythologies, cultures and religions around the world. But despite the fundamental roles they play in our lives, trees are too often taken for granted. Put an hour and a half aside this Wednesday night and scoot over to Banyan Books where David Tracey, the author of Vancouver Tree Book, will discuss “our affinity for nature’s largest, oldest and most beautiful living things.” Learn a little about tree identification, talk about ways that you can up your forest game, and generally/figuratively hug a tree.
Wed, Aug. 24 | 6:30-8pm | Banyen Books (3608 W 4 Ave) | Free | DETAILS

WATCH | Grab yourself some summer picnic food along with your best blanket and stake-out a spot for an outdoor screening of Goonies on Wednesday night. The weather will be perfect for watching this 1985 cult classic about a group of boys dodging bad guys while on the hunt for One-Eyed Willie’s treasure. “Goonies never say die!”
Wed, Aug. 24 | 8:45ishpm | Wesbrook Village, (3378 Wesbrook Mall, UBC) | DETAILS

NUDE | Boundary pushers, conversations starters and artists Tori Swanson and Jess Robson will be at Untitled Art Space in Chinatown this Friday night to get people talking about the beauty of imperfection and the connections between mental health and body image. ‘Talk To Me Naked‘ is a one night event that sees a series of Swanson’s recent charcoal sketches of nudes combined with a collection of dreamy hand-lettered messages by Robson. The focus is on fostering positive self identity, so basically: cool art, a little live nude drawing and some good vibes, plus a cash bar so you can…you know…ease yourself into the whole concept.
Fri, Aug. 26 | 8pm | Untitled art space (436 Columbia Street) | Free | DETAILS

SCORE | What a great time to hit the farmers market! Tomatoes are total perfection right now; peaches are still available; and apples are already starting to show up. Plus beans, plums, pears and garlic – they’re all coming in. The day will come when those hard-working farmers will pack up and retreat and you’ll be sorry you didn’t get to more farmers markets! Weekends are a great time to buy local, but there are a number of mid-week opportunities too. See you out there!
Downtown | Thursdays | 2-6pm | Queen Elizabeth Theatre Plaza | DETAILS
Trout Lake | Saturdays | 9am-2pm | North Parking Lot, John Hendry Park | DETAILS
West End | Saturdays | 9am-2pm | 1100 Block of Comox (across from Nelson Park) | DETAILS
Kits | Sundays | 10am-2pm | 2690 Larch @ 10th | DETAILS
Main Street | Wednesdays | 2-6pm | 1100 Block Main (Thornton Park) | DETAILS
Mt. Pleasant | Sundays | 10am–2pm | 2300 Guelph St | DETAILS

SLOW DOWN | We hate to break the bad news, but these are the last days of summer. Grab a malted milkshake or a sundae at Glenburn Soda; hike your way out to Quarry Rock in Deep Cove; pick some blackberries for a homemade blackberry syrup and have a patio cocktail party; swim in a lake; sit on a beach; hang in the park; and basically just drink it all in, folks. Summer doesn’t last forever, so get out there!
Now until September 21st | Everywhere | Free

TIME WARP | Break out the hair gel and shoulder pads, folks. Duran Duran are in town and they play Rogers Arena on Sunday night. I just saw them in Quebec City and they were outstanding. Nothing like a little new wave/synth-pop to finish your weekend on a good note!
Sun, Aug. 28 | 7:30pm | Rogers Arena | DETAILS

GIG | Sixto Rodriguez of Cold Fact fame plays the Orpheum on Monday night. The American singer-songwriter from Detroit swings in town for one night only and tickets are scarce. Try craigslist and expect to pay somewhere in the $200 range (worth it).
Mon, Aug. 29 | 8 pm | Orpheum Theatre (601 Smithe St) | $$ | DETAILS

TOMATOES | These warm August days are producing some outstanding tomatoes, so take full advantage and gobble them up while you can. Pick up tomatoes at the farmers market and do some home canning (it’s hot work right now, but you will thank yourself in the winter when you have the jars of summer goodness close at hand in your pantry). If immediate gratification is more your speed, check out the Sunday Supper Series at La Pentola in Yaletown; this week’s family-style dinner has a tomato theme and the menu reads deliciously with items such as heirloom tomato vinaigrette and burrata, zucchini flowers stuffed with prawn, gnocchiettti, pork ratolo, and lamb with a ‘dolce tomato’ finish. Get the scoop on dinner plans here. In a jar, on a plate or in the hand, tomatoes are awesome right now, so don’t miss out.

FORAGE | From cattails and licorice fern to blackberries and yarrow, there are plants growing all around Vancouver that are absolutely safe to gather and eat. Take a crash course on these wild edibles this Saturday on a farm stroll with wildcraft guide and chef Robin Kort. Not only will Chef Robin share her knowledge of what is safe to pick and when it’s best to pick it, but she’ll also fill you in on the best ways to prepare your foraged edibles. Keep in mind that this is an identification walk only, so no picking.
Sat, Aug. 27 | 2-4pm | UBC Farm | $35 | DETAILS

LAUGH | Slip in to Little Mountain Gallery in Mount Pleasant this week and have a giggle. The members of Little Mountain Comedy Department have a few things lined-up this week, including Blind Tiger Misfit Fest (Wednesday); weekly ‘Jokes Please’ stand-up night (Thursday); and the Weird Owl Parody Karaoke night (Saturday) are all decidedly different in tone with one shared goal: to get people laughing. Not only is laughter said to strengthen the immune system, boost energy and lower stress levels, but it also feels super good. Do some!
Aug. 24-27 | 8/9-pm-ish | Little Mountain Gallery (195 E 26th Ave) | DETAILS

—————————————————————————–

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.

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.