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

adfbh

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!

GIG | Live music is such a good move. Do yourself some good and catch The Cloud Nothings live at The Biltmore this Thursday night. The indie folk/rock band from Cleveland pop over the border to play for one night with Itasca. Grab a cold bottle of beer and find a place in the crowd with a good view!
Thu, Feb. 16 | Doors 8pm / Show 9:30pm | Biltmore Cabaret (2755 Prince Edward St) | $18 | DETAILS

TRIP OUT | Hit the BCIT Planetarium for a healthy dose of Laser Pink Floyd and Laser Radiohead this Friday night. A double hit of full dome 360 video projection, multiple RGB lasers, and 360 sound should set the right tone for the weekend. Add to that an educational interlude schooling you on some of the basics about locally visible stars and the infinite complexities of the universe at no additional cost. Get there early to grab the best pillows…
Fri, Feb. 17 | 7pm | BCIT Planetarium (3700 Willingdon Ave, Burnaby) | $12 | DETAILS

CROWS | Have you ever witnessed the menacing stream of crows (aka the Crow Commute) cutting across the Vancouver skyline at sundown and wondered where they’re headed? Well, this Saturday you’re invited to hop on your bicycle and follow them to find out. The Still Moon Arts Society have organized their annual Crow Roost Twilight Bike Ride that follows the crows to their roost. This is a rain or shine gig, so be smart and dress for the weather. To take part, meet fellow riders at Lakewood and Grandview Hwy North (the Central Valley Greenway bike route) at 4:30pm. If you miss departure, catch up with everyone at the Renfrew Skytrain Station at 4:45pm.
Sat, Feb. 18 | 4:45pm | Renfrew Station | Free | DETAILS

CLEAN | If you’re ready to get into spring cleaning mode, this is a good weekend to start. Clear out closets, empty drawers, unload those accumulated items that you don’t really need. One solid trip to Goodwill with a load of stuff will leave you feeling lighter, freer and cleaner. But what about those items that no one wants? Think broken electronics, car seats, antiquated laptops, busted power tools,and spent household batteries. No point in doing a half-assed job, get it all dealt with! Hit Beyond the Blue Box Recycling at Britannia Centre this weekend. They will accept everything from hard and soft plastics to boomboxes (yes, actually) and vacuum cleaners (expect a small fee).
Sat, Feb. 18 | 9am-noon | Britannia Community Centre (1661 Napier St.) | DETAILS

MAKE | How many times have you found yourself wishing someone had brought a piñata to the party? So many, right? Well, this weekend brings with it the opportunity to learn how to hand craft your own piñata. A three hour class will get you sorted with a super amazing custom job to take home (all supplies included). Throw in a few margaritas and you’re golden! This workshop has a strong chance of filling up fast, folks, so don’t wait. Grab a ticket NOW.
Sat, Feb. 18 | 2-5pm | Blim (115 E Pender St. ) | $85 | DETAILS

SHOP | With so many Vancouverites making so much awesome stuff, it can take a lot of time to hop around from shop to shop checking out the best finds. Friends With Benefits does away with that silliness and makes the hunt for coolness as easy as pie by feathering a whole nest of it under one roof. Expect stunning bouquets by Rogue Florist, all manner of ceramics, clothing, hand-embroidered undies, cards, prints and posters, deliciously scented candles and bath salts, and much, much more. The vendors are your friends and their goods are the benefits. Extra rad bit of info: doors are open late this Friday for a special exhibition featuring the work of photographer Jill Schweber.
Fri, Feb. 17 (4 till late) & Sat, Feb. 18 (12-6) | 756 Powell St. | DETAILS

LANTERNS | It’s a little hard to believe, but cherry blossom season is coming. Get into the spirit by participating in one one of the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival (VCBF) lantern workshops. Build yourself a lantern out of recycled materials that you can use in the Spring Lights Festival scheduled for next month. This week’s free workshop takes place at the Kerrisdale Community Centre. If you can’t make it, there are a few more opportunities on the horizon, check the VCBF website for details.
Sat, Feb. 18 | 1-4pm | Kerrisdale Community Centre | DETAILS

WILD | If you spend any time in Vancouver’s urban outdoors, you’ve likely come across a coyote. Relatively new to city streets (they’ve only been in the region for 50-ish years), coyotes are growing in numbers and increasing in brashness. Given that they like the city – they’ve got plenty to eat (juicy rodents also on the rise) and find ample locations for building dens in our parks and greenways – it might do well to learn a bit about them. From The Stanley Park Ecology Society: “Love is in the air as coyotes go a-courting—bachelors and bachelorettes will seek to find their match, while lifelong mates prepare to raise a new litter. Set out with us to learn more about coyotes in Stanley Park and track their movements during denning season.” Please email to register: programs [at] stanleyparkecology.ca
Sun, Feb. 19 | 10am | Stanley Park Nature House (foot of Alberni St. by Lost Lagoon) | $10 | DETAILS 

DINE | The team behind the eagerly anticipated St. Lawrence (opening this Spring/Summer in Railtown) are having a pop-up at their sister restaurant (Ask for Luigi) this Monday night. The single night of service offers guests the opportunity get their tastebuds in on the menu development process. For the event, Chef J-C Poirier (Ask For Luigi) has asked his longtime pal Chef Angus An (Maenam, Longtail, Fat Mao) to collaborate on dreaming up an old-school French and Quebecois-inspired menu  to get feedback from diners. Expect four courses with wine pairings as well as an amuse bouche and two mignardises. Move fast on this one!
Mon, Feb. 20 | 5:30 + 8:30 | Ask for Luigi Restaurant (305 Alexander St.) | $125 | DETAILS

GREASY SPOON | Chef Nathan Middleton (a.k.a Tasty Nate) rolls into town Monday night from Home of the Brave in Toronto to cook a Greasy Spoon dinner at Save On Meats. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, the Greasy Spoon Supper Series invites our best chefs to plate four courses of old school diner fare in their own way in support of A Better Life Foundation. It’s always a good time, and the chefs really love taking a swing at the ‘diner’ concept. “Tasty Nate” is bringing some classics to the table. Expect beer battered cauliflower, tater tots, Cobb salad and baby back ribs with a chaser of red velvet funnel cake. Score tickets here. Seats do have a way of selling out – presumably even more so when tater tots are involved – so don’t wait!
Mon, Feb 20 | Two seatings: 5:30pm & 8pm | 43 West Hastings St. | $95 | DETAILS

—————————————————————————–

late-may-2009-169Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended University in Australia and Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Information 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.

There is 1 comment

  1. This piñata making workshop seems like cultural appropriation how will the milquetoast vancouverites handle such injustice!11

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.