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. 442

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 October 11 to October 17, 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.

BOOKS | The Vancouver Art Book Fair goes down this weekend. Pop down to the Vancouver Art Gallery to check out artist-produced books, magazines, and all manner of printed ephemera. Expect to see everything from small runs of locally published chapbooks and magazines to readings, panels and workshops. Visit the Vancouver Art Book Fair website for the full program details here.  Oct. 14 + 15 | 12–6pm | Vancouver Art Gallery (750 Hornby St.) | DETAILS

NATURE | Ever walk through Stanley Park at night and feel slightly nervous about some rustling in the bushes? You hope the noise you hear is only an animal, but then again meeting an animal on a dark path in the forest is only slightly less terrifying than encountering a stranger with sketchy intentions. If you plan to wander the park after dark, the best thing to do is arm yourself with information, so hook up with Stanley Park Ecology Society peeps this Thursday night for Owl Prowl and get schooled on what it is that lurks in the dark. Once you’ve taken this informative walk, you’ll be much better equipped to anticipate park residents such as skunks, raccoons, coyotes and owls. Wear sensible footwear and come out a more informed city dweller. A travel mug with a warm beverage wouldn’t be a bad call either. Thu, Oct. 12 | 6-8pm | Stanley Stanley Park Nature House/Lost Lagoon | $10 | DETAILS

CULTURE | There’s a community dialogue event going on in Chinatown this weekend with a guest speaker in town from New York to discuss socially-minded business models. The aim of this event is “to strengthen community relations by bringing together different neighbourhood stakeholders to identify mutual interests that can be collectively pursued.” There will be a moderated panel featuring speakers from Chinatown’s business community, family associations/property owners, and the resident art community. Drop in to take part in the discussion, or just listen to what the community has to say. Thu, Oct. 12 | 6-8pm | Dr. Sun Yat Sen Garden, 578 Carrall St. | DETAILS

VERY SUPERSTITION | You might want to take a little extra care around the ladders and black cats this Friday because it’s Friday the 13th. The superstitious date occurs once every 212.35 days, and the 13th of any month is marginally more likely to be a Friday than any other day of the week. We suggest riding it out with a can of counteractive “Lucky” lager and a good dose of fresh air. Still, trust nothing!

ART | Moon and fog, cat and cobweb – we are well into October and the fright level is starting to build. Get into the spirit of Halloween with Down the Eerie Path, an art show that features works by four local artists: Kristian Adam, Russell Alton, Flavia Chan and Megan Majewski. Event organizers set the mood: “The night has fallen and you find yourself on a misty, unfamiliar path. The wind howls, you hear the growl beasts and shrieks of ghouls in the dark. Behold the hellish creatures and creepy nightmares that await you within the shadows.” Down the Eerie Path opens at Makerlabs on Friday night (reception 6-10) and runs through to November 11 (viewable Wed-Sat 12-9pm). Fri Oct 13 | 6–10pm | Makerlabs (780 East Cordova) | DETAILS

MORE ART | There are two spooky themed openings this week! Dark and disturbing art exhibit #2 (Friday the 13th II) features work by Mitchell Villa, Christian Whiticar and Alysha Farling. The event will go down at the Ellis Building on Main Street. In addition to art there will also be some cool flash tattoos available, a live deejay, a video installation, delicious drink specials, a food truck and all manner of delightful conversation — the kind that comes when you cross art and culture and flash tattoos! Fri, Oct. 13 | 7pm- late | Ellis Building (1024 Main St.) | $5 | DETAILS

SHOP | Get yourself sorted at Far Out Cafe’s vintage market pop-up on East Cordova St. this weekend. Aside from all the vintage clothing for sale, a crop of local vendors will be on hand with jewellery by Anita Sikma; raw local honey by Wild Apiaries; seasonal fruit compotes and fermented condiments by Project No 22; brand new print art by Ben Frey; wax and oil cloth hats; backpacks and more by Old Fashioned Standards; limited edition locally silk-screened punk & metal t-shirts and zines by Head Fanzine; plus beautiful soaps, salves and tinctures by Shut Up and Make Stuff. What’s more, Todd Graham – the underground supper club chef and coordinator of Handtaste Ferments – will be transforming the alleyway into a pop-up eatery. So pretty much all the best things! Sat, Oct. 14 | 12-6pm | Far Out Vintage (165 East Cordova Street) | DETAILS

MEAT | If you dig meat and are ready to get down with several courses of it, you might want to snag a seat at this Sunday evening’s Heads & Tails dinner with Rabbits Foot Supper Club. Chef Tobias has an epic meat lover’s meal planned. Think trio of local lamb; oxtail and sunchoke terrine; chicken foot tortellini; bison tongue; Pozole de cabeza; Crispy caramel pig’s ears and more. The dinner goes down in a secret East Vancouver location with an intimate vibe (read – don’t wait too long to purchase a ticket because this will sell out quickly). You’ll get all the details when you DM to reserve. $65 is the suggested donation. $5 corkage fee if BYOB. Sun, Oct. 15 | 7pm | Hastings Sunrise | DETAILS

EXPLORE | Crisp mornings and colourful foliage, this is perfect weather for exploring! So pull on some gear and get hiking. We suggest a few hours on the trails out at Lighthouse Park in West Van (followed by a slice of pumpkin pie at Savary Island Pie Co. on Marine Drive). Don’t feel like tackling the bridge? Head out to the Endowment Lands for a bit of fresh air, take the stairs down to Wreck Beach, or visit the bunnies at Jericho. All Week | Beaches, parks and forest all over the city | Free (except for the pie part)

CITY | Heads-Up for Tuesday: There’s another VanPlay Smart City Talks going down at Robson Square and now is the time to scoop a ticket. The topic is ‘Ecology and Nature’. Scoot down to Robson Square to have a think about the interplay of ecological and environmental sustainability dimensions of parks and public spaces. Good stuff to fill your autumn head with! Tue, Oct. 17 | 6:30pm | Robson Square (800 Robson St.) | $10 | 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.