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

may17-inside

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!

HOUSING | Concerned about the cost of putting a roof over your head in Vancouver these days? You aren’t alone. Are there alternatives, solutions, fixes, or changes that we could learn from Vienna? You bet. Hit SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts this Friday night for Alternatives to the Housing Crisis: Case Study Vienna, a discussion that takes a look at the worldwide lack of affordable housing and the politics that influence decision making and urban planning. From event organizers: “…housing, of course, is always more than itself — for we are housed in cities and thus also in infrastructural networks, power relations, public spaces, all of which are under pressure from market appropriation.” Get in on the conversation.
Fri, May 19 | 7pm | SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (149 W. Hastings St.) | Free | DETAILS

LISTEN | The fine folks at Hobo Woodworks are having another of their low-key lime music hang out nights this Saturday. Acoustic tunes in a great space with good people sounds like a good way to fill a long weekend! Expect a line-up of three bands – The Airstreams, Alissa Arnason, Dan Challis –  playing “Cosmic country n’ Fairytale folk”.
Sat, May 20 | 7-11:30 pm | Hobo Woodworks (1616 Franklin St.) | $10 | DETAILS

LAUGH | If you’re like us then you’ve probably lost your sense of humour about this extended winter weather. We could all use a good laugh about now – so why not do it for a good cause? The Vancouver Art Book Fair has enlisted seven of the city’s best comedians to tickle your funny bone and raise funds for the upcoming annual fair. There’s also an art book raffle and a limited edition Comedy Special zine for purchase; plus DJ Cherchez La Femme will be playing tunes to arouse your endorphins from hibernation.
Sat, May 20 | 7-11:30 pm | CBC Studio 700 (700 Hamilton St.) | $10-20 | DETAILS

TINY | There is a tiny house exhibition happening at Science World. Go, go TINY showcases sustainable design, construction and innovation while also raising important questions about waste in our culture. Check out tiny houses, meet members of the tiny house community, ask questions and compare notes, sit in on a panel discussion or just stand back and watch a mobile 26-foot tiny house being built on site. Plus: there will be a ukulele concert, and when was that ever a downer?
Sat, May 20 | 10am–9pm | Science World (1455 Quebec St.) | Free | DETAILS

COMICS | Head to the Roundhouse Community Centre this weekend to catch the Vancouver Comic Arts Festival, a two-day gathering of graphic novel and comic enthusiasts and creators that will include an exhibition and vendor fair. Expect booths, tables, workshops, and panel discussions all focused on the art of storytelling though comics. Long weekend tip: the sun will be out, so make your way to and from via the seawall and keep in mind that The Juice Truck is opening their new Yaletown storefront this weekend (mere blocks away from the Roundhouse, so scoot in to check out the space and grab yourself a juice to keep you fuelled for the festival.
Sat, May 20 + Sun, May 21 | Roundhouse (181 Roundhouse Mews) | Free | DETAILS

ART | Pictures From Here opens at the Vancouver Art Gallery this week. Drawing from photographs and videos in the Gallery’s collection, this show will include works by Roy Arden, Karin Bubas, Stan Douglas, Rodney Graham, Marian Penner Bancroft, Sandra Semchuk and James Nicholas, Henri Robideau, Althea Thauberger, Jeff Wall, Ian Wallace, Christos Dikeakos and Paul Wong (among others). From the VAG: “Beginning in the late 1970s artists such as Ian Wallace, Jeff Wall, Christos Dikeakos and Rodney Graham developed intellectually rigorous approaches to photography. Breaking with the romantic landscape tradition that dominated art making and collecting in Vancouver well into the 1970s, they developed practices that both articulated an affinity with the avant-garde projects of early modernism and uniquely acknowledged the specific place and historical moment in which they were working.” So this is a show about that. Take a few minutes of your weekend to check it out, or wait until Tuesday night when crowds are lighter and admission is by donation.
May 19 to September 4 | 10am – 5pm | Vancouver Art Gallery (750 Hornby St.) | $24 | DETAILS

SWIM | At the time of writing, the air is still a bit chilly, but they say that is about to change and as if to offer a nod of good faith to the weather gods, outdoor public swimming pools across the city 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

THE SHOW | The annual Degree Exhibition at Emily Carr ends on Sunday.  Weather is fine, walk, take a wee ferry, or bike down to Granville Island and make a day of it. Wander the galleries, hallways, foyers and classrooms of the campus to take in upwards of 300 works by the talented graduating students who have come through ECUAD via Design, Media and Visual Arts.
Now – Sun, May 21 | 10am-8pm | ECUAD (1400 Johnston, Granville Island) | DETAILS

RELAX | This is a long weekend. Your primary responsibility to yourself should be to find some time to kick back. The sun is rumoured to make an appearance, so take full advantage. Hit the trails out at the endowment lands, wander the seawall, spread a blanket on the grass at your local park and soak it in. A spring cocktail might be just the ticket to get things rolling, if you’re not sure where to begin, check Five Vancouver Cocktails You Should Try In Celebration Of Spring’s Arrival for some inspiration!

IMAGINE | What to do with a holiday Monday? If you’ve had your fill of blue sky and sunshine (after being deprived for so long, three consecutive days might feel overwhelming to some), so the Rio Theatre is running a Studio Ghibli double bill with screenings of Castle in the Sky (1 pm) and Howl’s Moving Castle (3:30 pm) that will keep you inside and entertained for the better part of the afternoon. Both movies are seriously magical. Get on it.
Mon, May 22 | 1pm & 3:30pm | Rio Theatre (1660 East Broadway) | DETAILS

 

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.