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 February 28 to March 6, 2018. 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.

GIG | Fill up on indie folk music at The QE on Thursday. Toronto-based singer/songwriter Afie Jurvanen of Bahamas fame is on tour in support of his most recent album, Earthtones. Have a read of Beatroute’s review here and scoop a ticket there. Find out more.

OPENING | Three new exhibitions open at the VAG this weekend: Bombhead (the impact of the nuclear age as represented by artists and their art); Living, Building, Thinking: art and expressionism (German Expressionist art from the early 19th century to the present day); and A Cultivating Journey: The Herman Levy Legacy. All of that plus, Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg! Wear comfortable shoes and give yourself some time as there is a lot to take in. Find out more.

RAMP UP | Unglue your eyes from the screen for your entertainment fix this weekend. Consider hitting the SBC on the Downtown Eastside for some sweet skateboarding action, specifically the Coping Bash indoor ramp competition. The contest is the largest of its kind in Western Canada and since the prize is a whopping $1,000 there’s little doubt that the competitors will be busting their asses to impress. Entry is $10 but watching is free. Bonus: Powell Brewery is the event’s official beer sponsor, so you can swill tasty beers while you cheer on the competitors. Find out more.

KEEP VANCOUVER WET | The City of Vancouver is hosting a Rain City Strategy open house this weekend. The high-level strategic plan aims to set a course for how the city will manage and use rainwater in the future. Ultimately, the COV wants to improve water quality and strengthen the natural and urban ecosystems by capturing and treating 90% of our rainwater through a combination of green infrastructure and conventional pipe systems on public and private property. Learn more about the Rain City Strategy and share your feedback on the planning process by dropping in to the open house to chat with staff. Find out more.

HYPE | Get caught up in the Oscar hype at The Bottleneck’s annual Academy Awards party on Sunday night. A crowd always takes the anticipation up a notch and why not take things up a notch whenever you can? From The Bottleneck: “Well, it’s that time of year again! And man, what a spicy year it’s been in Tinseltown. Which is one reason we are so curious what Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel has up his sleeve… almost as much as to who the winners will be! Margot Robbie for I, Tonya? Daniel Day Lewis for Phantom Thread? How about that remake of The Room? Come celebrate cinema and judge red carpet shenanigans with food, drinks and great friends. No cover + Prizes, too!” Also, really…Frances McDormand in Three Billboards? So. Much. Talent. Find out more.

LAUGH | This Is That is a current affairs program on CBC Radio that doesn’t get bogged down by sticking to the issues – it just makes them up and then passes off the satirical results as real content during regular programming just to fuck with people. It’s a format we dig. Grab a seat at The Vogue Theatre this Sunday night and laugh your way through a live performance with This Is That superstars Pat Kelly and Peter Oldring. From The Vogue: “Nothing is off limits – politics, business, culture, justice, science – if it’s relevant to Canadians, This Is That finds a way to fabricate a story.” Find out more.

ART  | Local artist Glenn Lewis’ new solo art show opens at the Franc Gallery this Thursday evening. The series is a continuation of a fond and familiar theme that pairs photographs with ceramic pots to create an experience that goes beyond each individual element. In addition to being an art icon, Lewis is quite a character, as we found out when we spoke with him earlier this year. Put aside a few minutes to cram in our interview and you can add yet another dimension to your art experience. Find out more.

PREAMBLE | We’re loving all the collaborative beers being brewed in (and around) Vancouver these days! The latest release on our radar is a rustic saison brewed by Dageraad and Coalesce Brewing called “Preamble”. This one has gone through quite an extensive process. First, it was fermented with cultures from each brewery, then tank-aged for two months before being dry-hopped and bottle conditioned. The beer will be making its debut with a day-long launch party this Saturday that includes live jazz music and yummy wood fired pizza from Via Tevere. Find out more.

GET SAUCED | One of our favourite weekly food and wine collaborations is now a bi-weekly event! Starting this Sunday you can end your week on an exceptional note with “Sunday Sauce”, the latest from the good people of juice bar who have been running their pop-up wine bar out of Gastown’s Birds & Beets on Wednesday nights. The Sunday night concept is the same (expect a special menu of awesome eats by two stellar chefs, Kris Barnholden and Doug Stephen, plus an array of unique wines) but the location is Bows & Arrows. These events always attract a crowd, so we suggest hustling your way up to Fraser Street early since the cozy space will fill up quickly. Find out more.

EAT LOCAL | Take advantage of one of the short windows of dry skies forecasted for this weekend and hit up the Winter Farmer’s Market for provisions. Load up on tasty fruits and vegetables, fresh bread, pastries, jams, pickles, and cheese. There are two markets to choose from this weekend: Nat Bailey Stadium parking lot on Saturday and the PNE on Sunday. Don’t forget to pack your reusable tote bags! Find out more.