A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

The Scout List, Vol. 439

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 September 20 to September 26, 2017. Please note that you can now get the Scout List – with a few extra pieces of intel included – sent to your inbox every Thursday. Sign up for your subscription in the sidebar.

HARVEST | Make time to attend the UBC Farm annual fundraising festival, FarmAde this Friday. The super fun outdoor event takes place on UBC’s 24-hectare learning and research farm. Originally intended to raise awareness about the farm and help to protect it against the threat of development, this family-friendly BBQ has become a real tradition. There will be square dancing, live music and plenty of food (Mandalay Burmese Kitchen, Culver City Salads and Big Dogs Burger Bus will all be there) and drink (think Twin Island Cider and Storm Brewing). As always, big props to the UBC Farm for cultivating food and community at the only operating farm in the city! A good time for a good reason. Gates open at 3pm. Live performances start at 5pm. Admission is free but bring cash for food and drink. Fri, Sept. 22 | 3-8pm | UBC Farm, 3461 Ross Dr., UBC | Free | DETAILS

BOOKS | Outfit yourself with a solid assortment of Autumn reads at the Friends of The Vancouver Public Library book sale this weekend. Thousands of discarded and gently used books go on sale starting Thursday, all of them going for less than $2.50 each. Pro tip: Saturday sees all books drop to half price. Half of less than $2.50 is pretty darn cheap for words and ideas that you can read and store in your brain, wouldn’t you say? Sept. 21-23 | 10am–5pm | VPL, Main Branch (350 Georgia St.) | Free | DETAILS

EQUAL NIGHT | The Fall Equinox is upon us. Be sure to pause for a moment – maybe in a patch of woods out at Lighthouse Park or deep in the Endowment Lands – and appreciate the changing of the seasons. It’s supposed to be sunny and clear at the exact moment of the equinox (1:02pm). Enjoy it while it lasts. Fri, Sept. 22 | Everywhere | Free

STREET ART | Art Rapture is happening in Mt. Pleasant and with its blend of pop, urban, and contemporary art and a roster of heavy-hitting Vancouver-based artists (as well as some stand-out emerging players) and international talent, there is going to be something for all. On Friday night you can hit the art auction fundraiser (a charity committed to ending youth homelessness) where you could score original art prints starting at $50. Saturday’s main exhibition is followed by an Al Capone-inspired “Nothing But Trouble Art Party.” Then, when the dust has settled, from September 27th to the 29th, Art Rapture headliner and public art shit-disturber Okuda San Miguel will be transforming an exterior wall of 325 West 4th Avenue (at Alberta St.) with one of his murals. You can take it all in with an all-day Saturday pass or purchase tickets for individual events. Fri, Sept. 22 | 6:30pm-1am | 19+ | $50 | DETAILS  + Sat, Sept 23 | 11-late | 130 West 4th Ave. | $12-35 | DETAILS

BEER | Looking for a beer-centric way to celebrate harvest season? The crew at Strange Fellows has your back. Head down to the Clark Dr. brewery on Saturday for the Hop Devil Hootenany and tick all the boxes. Inspired by both the Belgian Hopduvel and the British Corn Mother traditions, this Hootenanny celebrates the crops that mean the most to beer lovers – hops and barley. It also involves a feast of FREE corn on the cob, cold beer, music, dancing crafting (make your own Corn Mother with help from the folks from Cedar Isle Farm) and an appearance by the Hop Devil himself. Corn Shuck starts at 5pm until the corn runs out; music by Woolly Bears from 7-9pm and beer & good company all the way through to 11pm. Families welcome! Sat, Sept. 23 | 4-7pm | Strange Fellows Brewing (1345 Clark Dr.) | DETAILS

SING | That’s My Jam is a ‘name that tune’ event where teams of up to 4 compete against each other in fast-paced rounds of music recollection (organizers will play a short music clip and teams guess the song title and artist name). The team with the most correct answers at the end of the night wins and everyone has a blast! Don’t have a team of 4? Don’t worry, you can roll with 2 or 3 team members. Expect multiple genres and ‘artists through the ages’ for that sing-a-long vibe and lots of “I know this one” feels. Sat, Sept. 23 | Doors 6:30pm | Turf (2041 West 4th Ave) | DETAILS

CITY | The Vancouver Heritage Foundation has partnered with the Vancouver Lookout at Harbour Centre to offer Vancouverites a new take on what makes the city unique. The New Perspective on History lecture series aims to shine a light on a range of topics from the unique vantage point of the iconic ‘flying saucer’ shaped observation deck at Harbour Centre. First up is Blanketing the City: Musqueam Stories this Saturday morning. Get to know Vancouver a little more intimately by diving into its deeper history. The mix of daytime and evening events runs September through November. For the full list of talks, hit the VHF website here. Sept. 23 – Nov. 16 | Various times | 555 W Hastings St. | $21.95 (includes entry to Vancouver Lookout) | 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. A three hour class will get you sorted with a super amazing custom job to take home (all supplies included). We’ve taken this class before and give it two thumbs up. Instructor Meaghan Kennedy is rad, funny, helpful and phenomenally creative. Roll your sleeves up, grab a glue gun and make something! Sat, Sept. 23 | 2-5:30pm | Blim (115 E Pender St. ) | $55 grown up / $65 grown up with kid | DETAILS

DUMPLINGS | Make the first days of autumn delicious with a visit to Dumpling King Matthew Murtagh-Wu’s dumpling pop-up. On the table will be “the holy trifecta” of Murtagh-Wu’s menu: Johnnie Walker Black Pork Belly & Scallion; Five Spice Vegetarian; and Taiwanese-style pot stickers. House-made pickles, $5 Strange Fellows beer and sweet beats round out the communal dining experience. The event (held at the Hives For Humanity Bee Space in Railtown) is a first-come first-served free-for-all dumpling bar that ends when the dumplings run out. Show up early and hungry! With a standing room only capacity of 35, it’s sure be one sticky and steamy party atmosphere. Tickets are available at the door. As the King decares: “BEE ready to mingle!” Fri-Sat, Sept. 22-23 & 29-30 | 6-9pm | Hives for Humanity (580 Powell St.) | $25 (with partial proceeds going to Hives for Humanity) | DETAILS

HEADS-UP | On October 1st one of our most anticipated annual food events and fundraisers is back for its 8th year. From Farms to Forks: A Growing Chefs! Kitchen Party is once again taking over the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts‘ kitchen classrooms for a live-action tasting event. Over fifteen of BC’s top chefs will be working their magic before your eyes, cooking up dishes using the region’s best ingredients with wine pairings from Mission Hill Family Estates. Cocktails, beer from Moody Ales and tea from Namasthé Tea Company will also be available. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, it’s an evening of hopping from one cooking station to the next, tasting, mingling and picking the brains of some awesome culinary minds, all while supporting an awesome program nurturing and educating young minds on food cultivation and healthy eating. We’ve never been so excited about being back in a classroom! You can find out more about the charity here. A seriously good time – don’t miss out.
Sun, Oct. 1st | 5:30 – 9:30pm | PICA (1505 West 2nd Ave.) | 19+ | $200 – $235 | TICKETS

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.