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!

CHILL | Looking for a decisive way to mark the end to your work week? The fine people of Hobo Woodworks plan to fill their Eastside studio with live music this Friday night. Acoustic tunes in a great space with good people sounds like a good time! With a lineup of three bands – The Burying ground, The Crooked, Dan Challis – playing blues, ragtime, folk-noir and good ol’ classic country, there will definitely be some toe-tapping going on.
Fri, Feb. 10 | 7-11:30 pm | Hobo Woodworks (1616 Franklin St.) | $10 | DETAILS

FRESH AIR | Vancouver hasn’t seen this much snow in 70 years! It may wreak havoc on the city, but it bodes well for the slopes. Hustle up to Grouse Mountain and take full advantage. This weekend Grouse celebrates the white stuff with 24 Hours of Winter, a full day of variety with round-the-clock activities including all-night skiing, snowboarding and ice skating; sunset, midnight and sunrise snowshoe tours; a torch parade; a little bit of pond hockey and an all-around good vibe. 24 Hours of Winter kicks off Saturday morning at 8am and comes to a close at 10pm on Sunday night. Extra good news: the mountain is also offering some fun stuff for Family Day on Monday, February 13th (50% off lift tickets for BC residents). Details on Family Day activities can be found here.
Sat, Feb. 11 – Sun, Feb. 12 | 24 hrs | Grouse Mountain | DETAILS

STARS | The weather isn’t ideal for star-gazing right now, but don’t let that stop you! A warmer, clearer, hipper version of the romantic activity is available. Hit the H.R. Macmillan Space Centre on Friday night for some top notch star-inspired live music (local singer Louise Burns and her band play a ‘vibed-out’ set of songs inspired by the love of star-gazing) combined with some expert explanations on what to see in the night sky provided by a staff astronomer. Leave uplifted, educated and entertained. Sorry kids, this is a 19+ event. Tickets here.
Fri, Feb. 10 | 7pm/8:15 | H.R. McMillan Space Centre (1100 Chestnut St.) $20 | DETAILS

LUCK | Want to make 2017 a strong and productive year? The Japanese know what’s up. During the Spring Setsubun festival, they clear the path for the new year by chasing away troublemaking Yokai demons (with their knack for messing things up) by throwing beans at them. Although we won’t see Spring until March 21 – and we don’t see Setsubun celebrations at all here in Vancouver – we think that, after the general shittiness of 2016, a little demon-chasing might be a smart move. Being enthusiastic about the weirder customs from around the world, the crew Strange Fellows has your back. Head down to the Clark Drive brewery on Friday night to exorcise evil spirits with a handful of beans, a glass of fortune-giving beer (their Dickie-san Ginger Wit collab with Dickie’s Ginger Beer will be on tap) and, for the very brave, a round of Karaoke. Word to the wise: disguises and cross-dressing are encouraged to confuse errant demons, so think about wearing something super duper special.
Fri, Feb. 10 | 7-11pm | Strange Fellows Brewing (1345 Clark Dr.) | DETAILS 

ORGANIZE | If you didn’t get around to it in January, don’t fret, picking up a 2017 calendar in mid-February is something we’ve all done. The challenge with the late start is choice: kittens, flowers, and screen-saver style landscapes are often the only options – until now. Now you can score yourself a convenient February 2017 – February 2018 wall calendar without the judgement, or the kittens. Hit the 221A Gallery in Chinatown this Saturday and pick yourself up an original (and much sought after!) Mark Delong & Antoni Oko Calendar. Not only is this year’s edition PG16 and almost free of overt political content, it also comes with an extra month and an original cover drawing by one of the two artists. Confused? The calendar won’t help to clarify anything, but if you get yourself in to 221A Gallery and purchase a copy anyway, you won’t be disappointed.
Sat, Feb. 11 | 2pm-4pm | 221A (221 East Georgia St.) | DETAILS

EASTSIDE FLEA | It feels a long way off right now, but keep your eyes peeled! The signs of spring will start to pop up soon. Be prepared, update your warmer weather wardrobe with a few accessories or key pieces of clothing at the Eastside Flea Spring Market this weekend. Peruse booth after curated booth of goodies from over 50 local vendors on Friday night (6-10pm), plus Saturday and Sunday (10am-4pm). Bonus: pinball, pool, music, food trucks and cocktails. See you there!
Feb. 10 -12 | various times | Ellis Building (1024 Main St.) | $3 | DETAILS

LANTERNS |  A turn around the paths at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden does a fine job of making you feel like you’re in a decidedly far away place, and this weekend the gardens amp up the experience with Lantern In The Garden. Expect to see the entire location covered with traditional Chinese lanterns (some of them made by community members, some shipped from China). Not only will it be a beautiful sight to behold but there will also be tasty food, riddle-solving, wisdom-sharing, photo-taking and plenty of music.
Feb. 10-12 | 6-10 pm | Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden | $12 | DETAILS

SLURP | Snow, ice, rain and slush are going to make this a sloppy weekend. Combat the cold with a big bowl of ramen. Gather some pals together (or go solo at the counter) and saddle up to a restorative serving of noodles and broth in a steamy-windowed shop. Vancouverites are fortunate to be spoiled for choice in the ramen department. If you’re looking for direction, have a look at this handy feature that sees Scout readers rating the city’s top options.

FAMILY DAY | Hooray for family! If you don’t have one, you can always build one out of friends (sometimes it’s easier that way). However you roll, make good use of this day off by getting together with the people you love. Take a walk, linger over coffee, maybe sit down for a good meal. We suggest hustling over to the Pacific Spirit Regional Park where there will be a Nature Fun by the Fire event involving wildlife story-telling and songs, nature talks and marshmallows roasting — all in a beautiful rainforest! Everyone is welcome and the event is free.
Mon, Feb. 13 | 12:30-3:30pm | (4915 West 16th Ave – 400 m W of Blanca) | DETAILS

SCIENCE | February 12th is Charles Darwin’s birthday. Go big and celebrate by taking a trip out to UBC to get in on an entire festival focused on the evolution of life. FestEVOLVE honours the science, theories and physical evidence of evolution through talks, museum tours and an evolution-themed cake competition. Festivities begin this weekend with lots of themed fun and continue straight through until the 19th. Hands-down our favourite portion of this week-long party is the cake-making competition. Either combine your love of baking with your love of science and bake and decorate a cake in an evolution or ecology theme to enter in to the competition, or simply show up with a plate and fork.
Sat, Feb. 11 – Sun, Feb. 19 | Various times | Beaty Biodiversity Museum | 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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