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 June 20 to June 26, 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.
SOLSTICE | You’ve got the maximum hours of daylight this weekend! On Thursday the sun rises at 5:06am and doesn’t set until 9:21pm. That’s 16hrs and 15 min of daylight, and reason to celebrate. If you’re looking for an organized event to mark the day, consider taking a free (5:30am) artist-guided Solstice Dawn Walk. Not a morning person? There’s a Summer Solstice and Indigenous History Month barbecue happening in Stanley Park in the evening that sounds like it might be quite magical (Indigenous chef Lauraleigh Paul Yuxweluptun’aat of Bigheart Bannock Catering will be serving a 4-course lagoon-side dinner). Find out more.
GO SKATEBOARDING DAY | There are so many ways to mark Go Skateboarding Day. Take a solo ride or session with some pals, make a first attempt, stop by Antisocial to get outfitted with a new board, or hit one of the many skateparks in and around the city. There will be a Go Skateboarding Day skate starting from the The Plaza below the Georgia Viaduct (Union and Quebec) at noon. From there, riders will roll around the city to hit a number of skate spots for organized events (check The Boardroom event page here for details). The day ends with a Boardroom-hosted BBQ and good times at Strathcona Park. Even if you don’t skate, this is a fine time to take a seat on the sidelines and appreciate the art form from a spectator’s perspective.
ON WATER | Leading up to this weekend’s Dragon Boat Festival, the Vancouver Park Board is gathering public input about their On Water initiative final draft at a free community event. If motor-less recreation and/or navigation of Vancouver’s waterways is a concern for you (canoeing, kayaking, etc.) then you’ll definitely want to be in attendance for this demonstration and presentation. Public transportation goes beyond the roads, after all, and making the best use of our waterways is important! If you’re not already familiar with the strategy, which includes issues around public accessibility, safety and infrastructure, then school yourself here. Find out more.
NOSTALGIA | There’s nothing like the end of the school year to bring on the nostalgia of my-parents-are-out-of-town parties. If you’re not sure that the grown-up you could get away with what high school you could, but you still want to relive some old time party vibes, why not hit the much safer (and easier on your liver) Rio Theatre for Superbad on Friday night? “Two inseparable best friends navigate the last weeks of high school and are invited to a gigantic house party. Together with their nerdy friend, they spend a long day trying to score enough alcohol to supply the party and inebriate two girls in order to kick-start their sex lives before they go off to college.” Bill Hader, Seth Rogen, Michael Cera, Emma Stone, Jonah Hill – even with rose coloured glasses, your grad class wasn’t as cool as this. $10 in advance / $12 at the door. Find out more.
OPENINGS | There are two new places to check out. Our Town Cafe at Kingsway and Broadway has finally reopened after a renovation that seemed to have lasted forever, and the highly anticipated Pepino’s Spaghetti House (the old Nick’s location on Commercial Drive) is hoping to have everything in place to launch over the weekend. Sneak peeks here and here.
GIGS | Next week is absolutely stacked with live music gigs. To start, the Coastal Jazz Fest is kicking off on the 22nd, and you don’t need to be a serious jazz-lover to be stoked to see the Dirty Projectors, who are releasing a new LP on July 13th, or prolific San Fran rockers Deerhoof (Satomi Matsuzaki is an absolute treat to watch). On the sultrier side, serpentwithfeet‘s lush new album, “Soil”, lends itself perfectly to The Biltmore’s atmosphere (June 23rd). However, if the summer vibes are putting you in more of a twee and/or pop-punk mood then take note that both SNAIL MAIL and Cherry Glazerr, along with Peach Kelli Pop, are playing shows on Sunday — a real musical conundrum!
EASTSIDE SCREENING | Now is the perfect time to wean yourself off of Netflix because it’s outdoor movie season! The newly opened Eastside Studios is screening double bills of cult classics once per month all summer long, starting with “Dazed and Confused” and “The Lost Boys” on Friday. Summer evenings are best, and we think one of the best ways to enjoy them is by getting a healthy dose of fresh air, grilled cheese and beer among fellow film-loving peeps. Find out more.
FRESHEN UP AT SOL | Fresh art and duds are on the roster at Slice of Life Gallery this week. Get a two-fer by grabbing five to ten pieces of clothing crowding up your closet and then scurrying over to the East Van art space on Saturday afternoon for their “Pop, Lock & Swap” event (or skateboard – the SOL Mini Ramp will be open from 3 – 4pm). Between perusing the goods, be sure to scope out the brand new “FUTURE FORTUNE” exhibit by @nicenothings on the walls, which opens Thursday evening. Even in the unlikely case that you leave empty-handed, you’ll get to fill your eyeballs with some rad art! Find out more.
CITY | The keen collection of architects, planners, designers and place makers behind Urbanarium are offering a cool walking tour this weekend. This 1.5 hour wander aims to get participants thinking about the history and future of public space, and how established and emerging ideals shape the way we think about, value and use the stuff. From event organizers: “As we travel from Robson Square to the redesigned plaza on West Georgia Street, along the ceremonial West Georgia and to the east to Chinatown and North East False Creek, we discuss modernist ideals, public/private tension, the value we place on public realm & urban design, marginalization, and re-connection, among other themes.” Find out more.
BEER | Main Street’s Nomad Restaurant is teaming up with the good peeps from Parkside and always amazing Strange Fellows Breweries for an epic Brewmaster’s Dinner on Monday night. For only $55 you can score yourself a seat (it comes with a welcome beer cocktail, house-baked beer-infused bread, and three beer inspired courses (each course will also be paired with beer). This is the perfect way to draw out that first-official-weekend-of-the-summer vibe in to the beginning of your week. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.
Oh my gosh! How can U not mention Greek Days on Sunday. By far the best gig this weekend for eats! ?