by Michelle Sproule | The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit. The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours…

Vancouver History | The Equinox Gallery has recently opened the doors on it’s new Project Space on Great Northern Way. The massive new digs launched with a 114-photo retrospective of Vancouver photographer Fred Herzog on Saturday afternoon (the shots, space and crowd were all fantastic). Starting this week (February 2nd), the Project Space will be open Thursday to Saturday, from 12pm to 6pm. Find a friend with a car. It’s worth the drive.
Now – March 17 | Equinox Gallery525 Great Northern Way | Free 

Long Table | The Irish Heather’s Long Table Series throws down on Tuesday night. Think lamb burger with mint salsa, shaved asiago cheese, caramelized onions with a radish and arugula salad paired next to a Wee Angry Scotch Ale (veg option is chickpea-stuffed ravioli with lemon, garlic, chilies and pecorino). Damn, that sounds good! See you there.
Tuesday, January 31 | 7pm | The Irish Heather | $18

Watch It! | Stop The Presses (Ten Great Newspaper Movies) continues at the Vancity Theatre. “The newspaper industry is going through turbulent times in as old business models struggle to adapt to the new media world. Meanwhile, in Britain, the reputation of reporters has hit an all-time low after Rupert Murdoch journalists have been exposed as bullies and blackmailers, a corrupt influence on politicians and the police. But as this week-long series of newspaper movies reminds us, journalism can be, and should be, a noble calling, a corrective to the excesses of the power elite, and a vital voice in the democratic discourse.” This week’s line-up includes The Paper, Why Rock the Boat?,  and Shattered Glass. Check it out.
Now – Thursday February 2 | Vancity Theatre | $11

Awww | It’s letter writing time at the Regional Assembly of Text. Get it together now and you could have a hand-written love note in the mail in time for Valentines Day. Think about that for a second. How great would it be to have something other than bank statements and phone bills come through that mail slot? Do a good thing. Send someone a letter. Details.
Thursday, February 2 | 7pm | Regional Assembly of Text (3934 Main Street) | Free 

Get Up | Friday is Creative Mornings, the monthly morning gathering for creative types in the Woodward’s W2 Media Cafe. Each event includes a 20 minute lecture, followed by a 20 minute group discussion. The gathering begins at 8:30am and ends with everyone splitting for work at 10am. This month it’s Gagan Diesh of Design Stamp. Sign-up starts Monday at 11am and tickets go FAST. A second batch of 50 will be available at 4pm and a third at 9pm. Don’t miss out.
Friday, February 3 |8:30am | W2 Media Café | Free

Tunage | Wilco play with White Denim this Sunday. Both are good bands. Wilco is on tour to support their latest release, The Whole Love. Via Pitchfork: “Wilco’s great strength lies not just in Jeff Tweedy’s world-weary inscrutability, but the ways he and the band matched those stark, sometimes startling sentiments to expectation-defying deconstructions of Americana. The best thing about The Whole Love, Wilco’s adventurous, elliptical eighth LP, is the ease with which they’ve recaptured some of that old unpredictability: From Being There through A Ghost Is Born, the band’s best work has always perched itself upon the edge of traditionalism and experimentation, and The Whole Love is the first of their albums in years not to shy away from such risks.” Read the balance of Paul Thompson’s review here. Grab tickets here.
Sunday, February 5 | 8pm | Orpheum | Whoa: $47.50 (orchestra)/$39.50 (balcony)

Artsy Arty Artness | Vancouver Art Gallery changes up it’s ‘Offsite’ installation this week. Kota Ezawa gets busy installing a new piece in the open air site located on Georgia between Thurlow and Bute. Ezawa will speak to his installation at 6:30 on Tuesday on site. It might be slightly chilly, so warm up with a tea or finger of Scotch at Market in the Shangri-La afterwards. If you’re interested but can’t swing the Tuesday evening gig, you can always head to the Gallery on Saturday afternoon when Ezawa and associate curator Kathleen Ritter will be on hand for an informal discussion on the nature of contemporary public art practices and the Gallery’s Offsite public art space in downtown Vancouver. Details here.
Thursday, February 2 | 6:30pm | Georgia between Thurlow and Bute, next to the Shangri-La | Free

Omnomnom | What are weekends for if not for indulging? I don’t ‘do brunch’ nearly enough, so one of my resolutions this week is to make a brunch date. I’m torn between the simple menu at the close and quaint Dunlevy Snackbar or a trip over to Yaletown to try out Chinois for the first time (they’re starting a Dim Sum Brunch of Siu Mai, Lo Bak, Gai Lan with Oyster Sauce, Fried Chicken, Deep Fried Crab Claw, BBQ Pork Steamed Buns and Crispy Squid with chillies – all ranging from $5 to $10). After I’m good and stuffed I’ll be headed for coffee. I’m thinking about that cool little stretch at the tip of  Fraser and Kingsway.  There’s a new coffee joint to try out up that way called Matchstick Coffee Roasters. It’s just opened and it’s pretty sweet and earnest. Beautiful decor and kickass coffee. All followed by a wander along the strip of 15th to check out the new gluten-free bakery, the galleries, and the always fantastic Collage Collage. Can’t really go wrong.

Lord Stanley | Scoot down to Lost Lagoon on Sunday to learn how Stanley Park’s forest has changed over time. What we recognize as a somewhat static character of Stanley Park’s landscape is, in fact, always changing. From pre-glaciation through colonization and in to present day, the soils and vegetation of Vancouver’s best known park have adapted several times over. Get it all straight in your head now so you’ll be armed to impress summer visitors. Pre-registration is suggested as space is limited. Get sorted.
Sunday, February 5 | 1:30pm | Nature House on Lost Lagoon | $10

Tiki Superbowl | Lastly, there is a little thing called Super Bowl going down on Sunday. Any and all sports bars in the city will be open and waiting for you. Our venue pick would be the dark and friendly Waldorf Hotel, as they’re having a Super Bowl Party in the Tiki Bar. “Come watch the The New England Patriots and The New York Giants square off in Super Bowl XLVI in the Tiki Bar. Drink specials, Special Super Bowl Menu and El Garzita’s Half Time Show!” Sounds awesome, and I don’t know a thing about football.
Sunday, February 5 | Doors at 2pm, Kickoff at 3:30pm | Admission is free

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Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended Bond University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives in beautiful Strathcona and enjoys wandering aimlessly through the city’s shops and streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy, and uncooperative camera.

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by Michelle Sproule | The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit. The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours…

FIGHT THE MAN | Grab beers at the Rio Theatre on Thursday night. Yes, you read that correctly…The Rio Theatre has finally been awarded a Liquor Primary License and that is cause for celebration. It hasn’t been an easy road for the almost 75 year old Eastside establishment. And here’s the kicker: the theatre can have the precious license, but they are no longer free to show any cinematic screenings (bit of a bummer for a movie theatre). But they aren’t phased. They’re fighters, and they they want everyone to come out for a toast to the future. “We are determined to continue our creative programming and get the Province to revoke this restriction they’ve placed on us so we can continue to be East Vancouver’s best multi-media venue that supports independent films!” Meet us at the Rio to show your support! (DJ’s Live music, burlesque and complimentary popcorn). If you can’t make it out but want to offer your support, take a look at the Theatres facebook page for a FAQ on what individuals can do to help.
Thursday January 26 | 7:30pm – Midnight | No Cover

INDIE I DO | If you or someone you know is getting hitched in the coming year, do us all a favour and attend the Indie I Do show at Heritage Hall this weekend. Brides and grooms don’t have to go mainstream. They don’t have to offer chicken or fish with bad wine. They can do something different. Indie I Do offers a whole new world of possibilities: cupcakes to replace the traditionally bland wedding cake, the ever popular photobooth, super8 film, and cool little letterpress outfits to sort out your invites. Have a look at the list of vendors here and help spread the word. A more inventive wedding is in everyone’s best interests.

SEE A LIVE GIG | The Treelines, The Ruffled Feathers, and Sidney York are playing the Biltmore this Thursday night as part of the Steam Whistle Brewing Unsigned Indie Music Series. For only a $5 cover, this is the gig of the week for sure (find out more here). Alternatively, The Rickshaw is having Concrete Blonde in on Thursday night and  The Pack A.D. (with Pierced Arrows and Black Wizard) on Saturday. And for something completely different, Doomtree is at Fortune Sound Club on Saturday. Check it out.

STUFF YOUR FACE | This Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the north plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery will become Street Food City. Yes, our dream is coming true: a flock of food carts will congregate in a common geographic location long enough for a street food buffet of sorts. Coma is offering two tacos with Korean brown ginger tea and orange, rosemary truffles for $15; Tacofino throws down with a two tacos for $10 deal; ReUp BBQ will have Bacon Explosion sandwiches ($8), New Mexico chili with smoked pork shoulder ($6), and black bean and corn chili – veg ($4.5o); Brasserie rotisserie chicken sandwiches will be going for a mere $6.25; It’s All about Grill will have a skewer of chicken, pork, rib-eye, lamb or bacon-wrapped sausage for $7.50; while Soho Road, Mom’s Grilled Cheese and The Juice Truck will round out the crowd. Start early. If you need a digestive break, head in to the VAG. By the time you’ve wandered through Shore, Forest and Beyond (coming down January 29th) you will be considerably more cultured and ready for a second visit at Street Food City. Dig it.
Tuesday 24, Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 | 11am-3pm | North plaza @ Vancouver Art Gallery (Georgia Street between Howe and Hornby)

GALLERY HOP | Slip in to the Winsor Gallery to catch the Winter Group Show before it comes down on Sunday. The exhibition features works by Attila Richard Lukacs, Angela Grossmann, Alan Switzer and Trig Singer. I’m particularly besotted with Singer’s Cadillac Hotel and David Wilson’s Crossing Over. Take a look.
Now until January 29 |  Winsor Gallery (3025 Granville) | Free

GET VEGUCATED | “Vegucated” is a documentary film follows three “meat-and-cheese-loving New Yorkers who agree to adopt a vegan diet for six weeks. Part sociological experiment, part science class, and part adventure story, “Vegucated” showcases the rapid and at times comedic evolution of three people who share one journey and ultimately discover their own paths in creating a kinder, cleaner, greener world, one bite at a time.” All cool, though I noticed that the event is co-sponsored by Liberation BC. That group has done a pretty shitty job of winning over Vancouverites with their asinine, myopically extremist methods (picketing local, independent restaurants, for example), but whatever. Though their involvement makes me cringe, it shouldn’t get in the way of you or I appreciating a perfectly fascinating film.
Tuesday January 24 | VPL Main Branch (350 W. Georgia) | Free

EAT LOCAL | The Winter Farmers Market goes down Saturday. Load up on fresh local food (I’m planning to grab organic local eggs, fingerling potatoes and fresh herbs for a Sunday morning fritatta). You can also pick up fresh locally made breads, dried fruit, preserves and cheeses. Bonus: scoot down to Marche St George for a post market coffee and croissant.
Saturday | 30th and Ontario Street in the East Parking lot and Plaza of Nat Bailey Stadium | DETAILS

STORYTELLING | Raincity Chronicles teams up with the the City of Vancouver Food Policy Group to put on a special night with a focus on local food systems this week. The series of storytelling nights features a diverse roster of Vancouverites who will be taking the stage and speaking to a theme. The theme this month is What Feeds Us. Hook yourself up with tickets!
Friday, January 27 | 6:30pm | Salt Building (Olympic Village) | DETAILS + TICKETS

BUY A BOOK | Look outside. This is perfect, curl-up-on-the-couch-with-a-good-book weather, so set aside a bit of ‘book browsing’ time at an independent bookstore this week. Pulp Fiction has opened it’s third location (1830 Commercial Drive) and they’re sporting a fine selection of new and used books. They still have shelves to fill and they’re happy to look at books for potential purchase, so if clearing house was part of your Chinese New Year preparations and you’ve got boxes of books looking for a new home, now you know what to do with them. DETAILS

CELEBRATE THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON | Find a way (that doesn’t include driving) to get yourself to Chinatown for the Chinese New Year parade on Sunday. Crowds are always huge and rain will likely be a factor, but don’t be a sissy. This is a Vancouver tradition, so be there! The Parade starts at noon at the Millennium Gate on Pender and travels east along Pender to Gore. It then turns south onto Gore, west onto Keefer and ends at Columbia. For some pre-parade entertainment, nip in to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Gardens for Chinese tea and traditional dumpling making.
Sunday, January 29 | 12 noon | Chinatown | Free

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Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended Bond University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives in beautiful Strathcona and enjoys wandering aimlessly through the city’s shops and streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy, and uncooperative camera.

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by Michelle Sproule | The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit. The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours…

1. SCORE TICKETS TO WINE FEST | Tickets to the Vancouver Playhouse International Wine Festival go on sale this Tuesday (January 10) and you don’t want to wait on this. The Festival itself doesn’t run until February 27th (to March 4th), but the tickets go fast. This year there will be 180 participating wineries from 15 countries to give tastings and seminars (the 2012 theme country is Chile). Tickets can be had by calling 604-873-3311 (or online) starting at 9:30am on January 10. DETAILS

2. GET SCHOOLED IN FILM PHOTOGRAPHY | Ditch the DSLR for a stretch, because film is making a comeback and VNB’s fine art photo workshops are all over it. VNB is offering beginner, intermediate and advanced level workshops. I particularly like the sound of the four hour crash course (Sunday, January 15) and the six week one dealing with the Foundations of Film (starting this Monday night at the Cineworks Annex workshop in Railtown). The pitch: “How does a camera work? What is a lens, a shutter? How does one ‘see’ light? This course first walks novices and beginners through a coherent set of answers to ‘picture’ photography in all its complex multiform reality.”
January 9 – February 13 | Tuesdays 7-10pm | Cineworks Annex (235 Alexander) | $95 – $295 | DETAILS

3. NERD THE HELL OUT | There’s a wicked-sounding lecture going down this Thursday night entitled Whales versus Worms – Who’s Eating Whom? Dig it: “Like a classic horror story, eyeless, mouthless worms lurk in the dark, settling on dead animals in the deep ocean and sending out green roots to devour their bones. But is this story real?!?! Join Sheila Byers, marine biologist specializing in polychaete worms, as she reveals the incredible recent discovery of zombie worms and the role they play in controlling the fate of whale falls and the cycling of large organic matter into the surrounding deep-sea community. From artificial experiments to fossils, the macabre saga continues.” D0uble whammy marine biologist nerd out and horror story! You should so go to this!
January 12 | 7:30 pm | 5840 Oak Street (Oak at 42nd Ave) | Free | DETAILS

4. PAY A VISIT TO CATALOG | Catalog is showing the works of Vancouver painter Andrew Young for the balance of this month. The show opens Thursday and, as always is the case at Catalog,the night will kick ass. Succumb focuses on lost and found adolescence and the way we become lost in our self-indulgent primal behavior, “In these images we reflect on our own experiences of these dark visceral moments and places. Our juvenility is found when we disregard our age and act on impulses, often finding ourselves demonstrating irreverent, self-gratifying exploits.” This look like some wonderful work.
Thursday, January 12th – 29th | Catalog Gallery | Free | DETAILS 

5. WATCH & LEARN ABOUT ELECTRIC CARS | The Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association presents the local premier screening of director Chris Paine’s sequel to his popular 2006 film Who Killed the Electric Car?  Learn plenty about developments in the electronic vehicle world by sticking around for the expert panel that follows the show. This is an important topic that is being made entertaining, so get involved and check it out. Oh, and bonus: whenever you hit Tinseltown for a movie you can stop in at the Ayden Gallery on the way out.
January 12 | 6:30 pm | Tinseltown (88 W Pender) | $12 | DETAILS

6. BE ENTERTAINED | The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival gets rolling this weekend. The opening night gala takes place on Saturday night at The Waldorf. Expect live music, video projections, spontaneous performances, an accordion rock band and flamenco dance lessons – all in PuSh style. If you can’t make it on opening night, don’t worry. The Festival presents a wide variety of performing arts gigs around town for the next three weeks. Check out the full line-up here.
January 17 | 9:30pm | The Waldorf Hotel | 1489 East Hastings | DETAILS 

7. SUFFER OPENING SCENESTERS GLADLY | Catriona Jefferies is throwing up a solo Ian Wallace show to kick off her gallery’s 2012 exhibition roster. Masculin/Féminin will include pho­tog­ra­phy, inkjet prints, maque­ttes and large scale can­vases. There will likely be a swell opening party on Thursday night (packed to the gills with scenesters). If you don’t feel up to the glam of opening night, don’t worry, the show runs through to February 18th, 2012.  DETAILS

8. GET UNSETTLED WITH FEELINGS OF DESIRE | The Helen Pitt Gallery and The Dunlvey Snackbar are joining forces this weekend to present An Evening With A Canadian Romantic. I don’t know how to explain this one. It’s a one of a kind evening combining large amounts of shared laughter with soft music and unsettling feelings of desire? Try to figure it out for yourself here. Or just trust that the Dunlevy wouldn’t jerk you around with a crap night on the town. Ever.
Friday, January 13 | Dunlevy Snack Bar (433 Dunlevy) | $25 for performance plus dinner | DETAILS

9. CATCH A FLICK | When the weather sucks a warm theatre and a bucket of popcorn is a good place to hideout.   The Iron Lady opens at The Fifth Avenue Cinemas on Friday (January 13). The movie may not be scoring with critics (LA Times review here), but you gotta respect Thatcher, at least for her intransigence (and Streep for her talent). At Vancity Theatre, it’s Animation Express 2; a compilation of the very best National Film Board short animated films created between 2009 to 2011. “Vancouver’s animation legend Marv Newland is represented by CMYK, a riotous kaleidoscope of colour and energy. Another local filmmaker, Anne Marie Fleming, turns to animation for very different ends in the quizzical, poignant I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors (based on Bernice Eisenstein’s illustrated memoir). And of course there is plenty of humour, too.” And, for the brave among you, The Shining is on at the Rio at midnight this Friday night…creepy.

10. DANCE YOUR HEART OUT AT THE BILTMORE | Brazilian Girls are at the Biltmore this Thursday (9pm). I’m not sure what else I could tell you to convince you that this is where you need to be tonight. Isn’t “Brazilian Girls are at the Biltmore” enough? It really should be. How about this: “Imagine Grace Jones, Blondie, The Sugar Cubes, and Astrud Gilberto having a wild party and you are only half-way there.” DETAILS

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Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended Bond University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives in beautiful Strathcona and enjoys wandering aimlessly through the city’s shops and streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy, and uncooperative camera.

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The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit. The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours…

MONDAY | December 26

CHIP | If you just can’t wait to get rid of your Christmas tree, you can get it recycled at UBC Botanical Garden starting on Boxing Day. Rest assured, tree recycling goes on until January 8th (for those of you who like to be a bit more leisurely about these kind of things). | DETAILS

GAME | The Canucks play the Edmonton Oilers tonight on home soil. If you aren’t able to hook up with tickets, consider the ANZA club or the lounge area at Campagnolo (with a nice pizza pie). We also hear the rear room at Bitter is awesome for games | DETAILS

TROPICAL | I don’t know if you’ve looked at the weather forecast for Vancouver the week, but it’s not phenomenal. Stay warm and cozy by hitting the Bloedel Conservatory for a tropical walk amongst twinkling lights and over 1,000 poinsettias. Draw out that magical holiday buzz on without the frostbite! | DETAILS

SKATE | Grab your skates (or rent them once you’re there) and hit Robson Square for a lap of twelve around the rink. Take your thermal mug, some nice thick gloves and your residual holiday cheer. | DETAILS

TUESDAY | December 27

SCORE | Abigail’s Party is open for brunch today. Have a brisk wander along Kits Beach and then climb up Yew St. for a well deserved meal of comfort food and fresh squeezed juices. Word is some champers might flow. | DETAILS

MOVIE | Ooh. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is playing at the Rio all week. “Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson join forces to outwit and bring down their fiercest adversary, Professor Moriarty.” | DETAILS

GLUTTONY | The Long Table Series is throwing down with Line Caught Ling Cod, Winter Vegetable and White Bean Stew with a pint of Innis and Gunn tonight. I don’t know about you, but that sounds darn near perfect to me. | DETAILS

ART | The Vancouver Art Gallery is open late tonight and after 5pm admission by donation. It’s a good time to scoot in and check out An Autobiography of Our Collection (an investigation of the history of collecting at the Vancouver Art Gallery) | DETAILS

WEDNESDAY | December 28

WATCH | Some movies are just meant to be seen on the big screen. Being that this is the best week of the year for hitting theatres, why not catch a mid-week flick? The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is on at the Fifth Avenue Cinemas this week. The revised American version is said to be pretty snappy. Well, that and Daniel Craig is in it. Just saying’ | DETAILS

HOPE | Today is a good day to make your way to Chinatown and check out the Hope in Shadows exhibition at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Chill out and regain some perspective with a glance at photographs selected from the HIS archive: “the images in this exhibition are perspectives on garden spaces, and artistic and scholarly pursuits in the Downtown Eastside.” This show is only on until Saturday. | DETAILS

MORE ART | George Vergette: The Sweetest Asian Transexual is showing at The Waldorf’s Black & Yellow Gallery. The show, curated by Graeme Berglund, is “A group of text based work from disparate sources – sex ads, Facebook, novelty signs, twitter, national newspapers and radio interviews – homogenized into a modern aesthetic using basic Helvetica.” | DETAILS

THURSDAY | December 29

FRESH AIR | Yes, it’s damp out. But that’s never stopped us Vancouverites from enjoying nature – right? Throw on gloves and scarf and hit the Endowment Lands for a solid afternoon hike. Best thing about that plan? La Ghianda is justifiably close for a post walk minestrone soup. | DETAILS

STAGE | A little Samuel Beckett puts a new twist on things. Get cultured – catch Waiting For Godot at the Cultch. The ‘profound comedic masterpiece’ opens tonight and runs until January 21. | DETAILS

MUSIC | The Waldorf is presenting one of their “Soundtrack To My Life…” gigs tonight. This one is with Paul Wong. The first 25 attendees will be given a limited edition CD with custom artwork. | DETAILS

MOTHER MOTHER | Mother Mother is playing at the Commodore. If you can make it down tonight, there’s another show tomorrow afternoon and then another tomorrow night. Tickets are selling out, so get on it. | DETAILS

FRIDAY | December 30

EAT | The Union is set to open this week. You never know with this sort of thing, but with a little luck, the new Strathcona restaurant may be pulling pints by today. Head down for a beer and some southeast Asian snacks. | DETAILS

SNOW | Head up to Grouse Mountain for a sleigh ride through a snowy forest or lace up some skates for a turn on the mountain’s outdoor rink. Both activities come free with admission to the mountain. Other free activities include snowshoeing, Theatre Under the Sky, and the Endangered Wildlife (wolf) Habitat. | DETAILS

WATCH | Goodfellas is the midnight movie at the Rio tonight. Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci in the Martin Scorsese classic, how does it get better than that? (Maybe a little popcorn on the side?) | DETAILS

BALLET | Didn’t get a chance to hit the ballet in the run-up to Christmas? No problem. Ballet Alberta performs the Nutcracker tonight (and tomorrow night). Keep the holiday cheer flowing with Tchaikovsky’s Christmas favourite. | DETAILS

SATURDAY | December 31

EAT WELL | There are a number of lucky foods to fill your belly with today in preparation for 2012. Gobble a grape for every month. Feast on cooked greens (they resemble money) and pork (progress). | DETAILS

NYE | The wiki: “New Year’s Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year’s Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the incoming year. The observance of New Year’s Eve generally extends through midnight of January 1 (New Year’s Day).” You don’t say? Have fun. Stay safe. | DETAILS

FIRST FOOT | Heads up, it’s important to think about who will be your ‘First -Footer this year. In Scottish folklore, the first-foot is the first person to cross the threshold of a home on New Year’s Day and a bringer of good fortune for the coming year. The first-foot is traditionally a tall, dark-haired male who brings with him coal (for warmth), a coin (for prosperity), some bread (full belly), and a drink (um – whisky) for good cheer. | DETAILS

SUNDAY | January 1

FREEZE | On the icy shores of English Bay, a Vancouver tradition goes down. Yes, it’s time for the Polar Bear Swim. Some swear by it, thinking it’s THE best way to start a new year (others could give a shit because they’re still half cut and asleep). Costumes and the Peter Pantages Memorial 100 yard swim race are the highlights. Rumour has it that a few swigs from the scotch bottle beforehand can help boost courage (not that we encourage that sort of thing). | DETAILS

BRUNCH | New Years Day brunch is a good idea. But it’s an idea that a lot of people have so plan ahead. Plenty of fine Vancouver restaurants open their doors. Chinese dim sum at Sun Sui Wah anyone? | DETAILS

STYLE | Feeling broke? Don’t worry. A thin wallet doesn’t mean you have to live with last year’s fashion choices. Start 2012 with a snappy new coat or sweater from Community Thrift & Vintage. The Gastown vintage shop(s) have racks of $25 coats and $5 sweaters, so load the hell up. | DETAILS

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Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended Bond University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives in beautiful Strathcona and enjoys wandering aimlessly through the city’s shops and streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy, and uncooperative camera.

——————————————————————————————–

The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit. The Scout List is our carefully considered, first rate agenda of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours…

MONDAY | December 5

LEARN | UBC Reads Sustainability brings well-known sustainability authors to the UBC campus to speak on the topic. Tonight, it’s Ronald Wright (CBC Massey Lecturer, A Short History of Progress) giving a free lecture entitled Homo sapiens: Repeat Offender. That, my friends, is some solid brain stimulation! | DETAILS

DIM SUM | Wild Rice Executive Chef Todd Bright is offering a cooking classes in dim-sum making at the newly opened Wild Rice in New Westminster’s River Market starting tonight (as well as the following two Mondays – December 12th and 19th respectively.) If you live in Vancouver, hop the skytrain and you’ll be there in no time. $30 includes a four-course dinner after the lesson. Total deal! | DETAILS

TUESDAY | December 6

AWESOME | The Cass McCombs Band is playing at the at Electric Owl with White Magic tonight. This is going to be a really fine show. Drop what you had planned and get your ass to the Owl! | DETAILS

ART | The Vancouver Art Gallery is open late tonight and after 5pm admission “by donation”. If you haven’t seen it yet, this is a good time to scoot in to check out Shore, Forest and Beyond: Art from the Audain Collection. | DETAILS

PARTY | BeatRoute Magazine is having a December Issue release party at the Astoria tonight. Good place to head after the VAG or the Electric Owl. Beatroute always has it going on. Tonight will be no different. Plus, the Astoria has cheap beer. Cheap beer on a Tuesday? Good stuff. | DETAILS

CINEMA | There’s a Cinema Salon going on at the Vancity Theatre tonight. Dig this: once a month the theatre invites a distinguished guest to present their favourite film. After the screening, audiences and guests have the opportunity to discuss the film over drinks in the lounge. Tonights presenter is Ken Pickering (Artistic Director, Coastal Jazz and Blues Society), and the movie he has chosen is Michelangelo Antonioni’s Blow-Up. Looks like a sexy flick. | DETAILS

WEDNESDAY | December 7

FRESH AIR | Word on the street is that there might be some sun today. Skip school, call in sick, whatever, just to walk the seawall. Everyone has their favourite bit of seawall, and mine is one that ends with a treat. I’m thinking about the stretch between science world and Granville Island. Ending with a basket of duck fat french fries at Edible BC. You know the ones… | DETAILS

THINK | Tonight, the Vancouver Food Policy Council and Village Vancouver Transition Society come together at the Museum of Vancouver for a public dialogue aimed at the development of a Vancouver Food Energy Descent Action Plan (FED-AP) to address Community Food Resiliency. This is important stuff, though it sounds complicated. Get in on this community visioning session aimed at getting people to think about the future of food in Vancouver, “especially as cheap energy sources peak and climate change intensifies.” Want o help direct change? Go. | DETAILS

HIGHNESS | Jay and Silent Bob are at the Vogue. At capacity this will be a theater of over one thousand really stoned people. Always room for one more. Anyway, the show is called Jay and Silent Bob Get Old. I hope this is a reference to their chronological age and not their act, but there’s only one way to find out. See you there. | DETAILS

LAUGH MORE | Comedy night at the Rio Theatre tonight. MC Graham Clark (CTV Comedy Now) will ‘keep things rolling’ with acts like Whiskey Jane, Andrew Barber, Slam Poetry, Comedian Ivan Decker, and PHS employee Chris Tait with his band. The event aims to raise funds for The Portland Hotel Society and Insite Safe Injection Site. Do it. | DETAILS

TWEET | #EastVanLove is holding a tweetup today and if you love EastVan as much as we do, you’ll want to get in on this action. Head to The Hood (395 Kingsway @12th) to hook up with other Eastside enthusiasts. | DETAILS

THURSDAY | December 8

CRAFT | The One of a Kind show is on at the Vancouver Convention Centre starting today. With a focus on homegrown talent, the show is all about innovative artisans, craftspeople, and designers with contemporary and unique style. It’s big, but it’s pretty cool. | DETAILS

CULTURE | Oh, I like the sound of this: Amber Weber of Black Mountain/Lightning Dust is throwing down with “A Soundtrack To My Life” at The Waldorf tonight. This’ll be a good playlist! | DETAILS

BOOKS | The Vancouver Public Library is unloading some books at their Winter book sale this weekend. The sale starts today and runs through to 6pm on Saturday. Prices range from 55 cents to $2.25. Can’t beat that! You never know what sort of treasure you might uncover. | DETAILS

TUNES | Sting is in town. Catch him at the QE Thursday, Friday or Saturday night.

FRIDAY | December 9

COOL | The best thing about today is Toque at the Western Front. There are craft fairs and then there are craft fairs, and this is one of the good ones. Toque takes the concept to a whole new level. Henderson Dry Goods, The Beautiful Project, Contexture Design, Simply Read Books and Tin Can Studio are just a handful of the vendors. Really, this will be awesome. If you make only one craft fair this year, this should be it. | DETAILS

FESTIVE | The Festival of Lights is on at VanDusen Botanical Gardens. In fact, it kicks off today. An invigorating walk through a garden decorated with 1.4 million twinkling lights is a pretty great way to jump start your holiday spirit. Watch for a ticket give-away on Scout this week. | DETAILS

ART | There’s a show opening at the Ayden Gallery today. It’s called Post Up and it will feature the works of Jeff Boyes, Todd Slater, Camilla d’Errico, Emi Kanomata, Jason Wasserman, Matt Andres, Ahssan Moshref and Colin Moore. Ayden always throws a good bash. | DETAILS

GIG | Papercuts and Tim Cohen’s Magic Trick are playing the The Waldorf tonight. The Papercuts have been on heavy rotation in the Scout office for the past few weeks (have a listen). | DETAILS

SATURDAY | December 10

LISTEN | We Are The City plays the Rio tonight. If you were at the food-themed Pecha Kucha last month, you will remember them as the very compelling opening act that everyone was talking about. They’ll be playing with Treelines & Fields of Green. | DETAILS

TRINKETS | The Beehive Hair Lounge (up on Fraser at 23rd) is holding a Craftacular Frosty Winter Stache sale today and it involves booze. Crafts and booze! Together at last! See you there. | DETAILS

SHINY FUZZY MUDDY |  Three craft fairs in one weekend? It must be December. Don’t miss out on Shiny Fuzzy Muddy. Pick up cashmere Winterluxe gloves from Astrosatchel, art from Arleigh Wood, chocolates from BETA5, and laptop carry cases from Track & Field Design. All handmade. All local. All good. | DETAILS

EAT LOCAL | The Farmers Market goes down today and, with only one per week during the winter months, it’s important that you hit the Nat Bailey parking lot to load up on those fresh, locally produced goodies that will keep you healthy and happy. | DETAILS

SUNDAY | December 11 

MIDWINTER | Naturalist Jennifer Swanston will be at the Lost Lagoon Nature House in Stanley Park today to talk about “the history and customs of midwinter festivals” and to help you “understand the traditions behind the plants and decorations that we associate with the season.” | DETAILS

OPERA | Opera Pro Cantanti presents Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi (The Capulets and the Montagues). (Bellini’s rendition of that age old tale of “star-cross’d lovers,” Romeo and Juliet). | DETAILS

SNOW | There is snow up there folks. Think about taking an afternoon trip to Mount Seymour to do a little Snowshoeing on their exclusive snowshoe trails that offer “a place of quiet and stillness amidst the vast trail system, especially during the busy weekends. A special feature of the trail system is the two scenic lakes and old growth forests where guests can look for animal tracks and listen for bird calls.” I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty perfect. | DETAILS

FREE | Sunday movies are a good thing. Particularly if they are free. Hit Denman Theatres today for a free screening of A Christmas Story (next week it’s The Polar Express). Find out more here. Tell someone who knows someone who could benefit from taking the kids to a movie without having to fork out a gazillion bucks. Props to Denman Theatre, cool move gang. | DETAILS

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Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended Bond University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives in beautiful Strathcona and enjoys wandering aimlessly through the city’s shops and streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy, and uncooperative camera.

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