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 August 22 to August 28, 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.

HOT ART | Hurry over to the Toast Collective this Friday night for the opening of a new art exhibit called “HOT Torta”. If the show’s title is any indication, you can expect some seriously spicy art from two local artists, Chris Von Szombathy and Ehren Salazar. It sounds like an exciting and visually flavourful way to kick off the weekend! TIP: if you’re already tied up this Friday then don’t sweat it because the exhibit will also be open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4pm. Find out more.

LAUGH | Ever-evolving, multi-dimensional, occasionally controversial podcaster and joke-teller Joe Rogan is in town (well, Abbotsford) for a stand-up comedy performance. Find out more.

POP-UP |  Hustle down to The Pie Shoppe this weekend and score all kinds of cool, locally made things at the The Cardamom Pop-Up. From event organizers: ”Stuck for birthday present ideas? We’ve got you covered! Impossible family members to buy for? Not anymore! Wedding season is upon us, so if you’ve been looking for the perfect gift, then look no further! Or maybe you’ve got nothing to do that weekend and just want to come by, say hi, browse pretty things and eat some very delicious pie.” Peach pie, good coffee, nice people and cool creativity? Yes, please!

HARVEST | These warm August days are producing outstanding tomatoes. Take full advantage and gobble them up while you can. Want to take your love of the tasty orbs to the next level? Hit this weekend’s Tomato Fest! Get yourself over to Trout Lake Farmer’s Market on Saturday or Kits Farmers Market on Sunday and go big: Check out the display of 100+ varietals of heirloom tomatoes; try samples; talk to tomato farmers and tomato lovers; stock up on cute little cherry tomatoes and armfuls of romas. The window of perfection is open and it’s time to jump through! Pro tip: pick up extras and do some home canning. (It’s hot work right now, but you will thank yourself in the winter when you have the jars of summer goodness close at hand.) Find out more.

COMMUNITY | The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Courtyard is the open air square that connects the Chinese Cultural Centre and Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Chinatown. As they feel out the edges of the best way to revitalize this courtyard and promote it as a vibrant public space that will foster neighbourhood connectedness, support business and engage with visitors, the community hosts a two-day ‘place making’ event this week (August 23-24). Scoot down to the courtyard to get to know some of the groups and organizations in the neighbourhood; the history and cultural significance of particular plant species; hear stories; buy vegetables; mend clothing at the clothing fix-it; make jiànzi; listen to music – there is a lot happening! Stick around to share your thoughts on the space and “Help Shape The Courtyard” Find out more.

FUSE  | This is a good weekend to take small people to the Vancouver Art Gallery. It’s Family Fuse Weekend and there is all sorts of fantastic fun afoot. Expect performers, dancers, musicians, and other creative artists leading workshops and tours focused on the theme of ‘Listening To The Land’. This event explores how artists across cultures use different formats to tell their stories about what the land tells them. Grown-ups can also take advantage of this opportunity to check out the sweet line-up of exhibitions. Kids under 12 get in free with a paying adult and everyone has a thought provoking and aesthetically pleasing time. Yay, art! Find out more.

LITTLE JUKE | Scout reported earlier in the week that Little Juke, the West Side second location of Chinatown’s Juke Fried Chicken, is ready to softly open over the weekend. The trial launch for friends and family goes down on Thursday, with regular service to follow. Check it out before the crowds do but take note that they will close Monday and Tuesday to retool and recalibrate before reopening to the public on Wednesday! Find out more.

ESCAPE | This is a perfect time of year for a drive in the country. If you don’t want to invest in a whole weekend away but need the restorative break of leaving the city, consider heading toward Ladner/Delta for a day trip on Westham Island. There’s something immediately relaxing about the sound of wooden slats under your tires (be they car or bike) as you cross the Westham Island Bridge. On the other side are quiet roads flanked by long grass, plus roadside egg and vegetable stands. Westham Island Herb Farm is a great place for peas, potatoes, preserves and zucchini. Fit in a walk at Reifel Bird Sanctuary too if you can. You’ll feel like you’ve escaped on a country vacation, because you have!

BIRDS | And speaking of birds, The Vancouver International Bird Festival is going on and The Stanley Park Ecology Society is hosting a series of short, information-dense, adventure-heavy walks and talks to bring you up to speed on local species. Bird Photography Workshop, wetland wandering, poking around tributaries and expert-led shore bird and waterfowl identification walks, there is something for everyone! Various times, days and experience levels. Find out more