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. You can also check it out in the Globe & Mail, from our calendar to theirs…and yours!

LAUGH | Not only is laughter said to strengthen the immune system, boost energy, and lower stress levels – it feels good. Get out of the house for a good laugh this weekend. If it’s not coming naturally and you feel you might need a little help, scoot in to the Beaumont Studios on Saturday night for Proud of You, a night of stand-up and improv focused on the crippling responsibilities of being an adult. No point in fighting it, right? You might just as well laugh. From event organizers: “Why haven’t you paid your MSP bill? Do you regret getting that tattoo? What are you doing with your life? Stop trying to Benjamin Button yourself, it doesn’t work that way. Being an adult, right? …shiiiiiit.” We all relate. Also: $5 beer, $6 highballs, and the possibility of candy.
Sat, April 9 | 8pm | The Beaumont Studios (316 W 5th Ave) | $5 | DETAILS

HOME | Affordable housing is a topic that works its way into conversation a lot in Vancouver, and they aren’t usually uplifting conversations. Don’t get trapped by negativity, get inspired. Local architect, planner, and real estate developer Michael Geller has 12 Affordable Housing Ideas that could help, and he presents his thoughts this Wednesday night at SFU. Expect to hear about everything from potential new building types like zero-lot line houses, row houses, and stacked townhouses to different financing options like shared equity and life-lease ownership. Seats are sold out, but the good news is that organizers have made arrangements to have the evening streamed live online. Details below:
Wed, April 06 | 7–9 pm | Room 1400, SFU Harbour Centre | WATCH (Access Code: 234-363-013).

PHOTOGRAPHY | The Capture Photography Festival continues. Focused on showcasing all manner of ‘lens-based art’ created by emerging and established artists from here and around the world. Capture 2016 is comprised of close to 50 exhibitions at various venues running now through April 28 and, along with the visual component of the festival, there are numerous tours, talks, and workshops to enjoy. This week we suggest you hit the Burrard Arts Foundation to see Randy Grskovic’s Earth to Earth, Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust opening alongside Angela Fama’s ‘What is Love?‘ (Fama carted her Boler photo studio across North America to capture micro-expressions that appear when the subject is asked about the word love). For a full listing and events, take a look at the official website.
Now through April 28 | Various locations | DETAILS

GET OUTSIDE | The weather is pretty decent right now. So get the hell out there and enjoy it. Hit a beach, take a hike, lounge in a park, or kick back on a patio. Faux summer won’t last long and you don’t want to be kicking yourself for sitting on the couch watching Netflix when you could have been outside. You know the drill: Jericho, Kits, Endowment Lands or Quarry Rock. (Be sure to also check out our list of the best Spring Patios on the new Scout Gameplan)

ART | Hustle down to Chinatown for the opening of a vegetable-themed art show on Thursday night. Eat Your Veggies is a group exhibition showcasing the works of over twenty local artists, all creating works inspired by vegetables. Photography, poetry, paintings and textiles – expect a bit of everything. There will also be a cash bar and some tasty edible art prepared by Kitchen Culinaire’s Julie Marr.
Thu, April 7 | 7pm | Studio 126 (126 E Pender) | All Ages | DETAILS

SAKURA DAYS | How awesome is it to have a city full of cherry blossoms right now? Get excited about it with the likeminded at the Sakura Days Japan Fair at VanDusen this weekend. Cruising the Sakura Days Japan Fair is like being teleported to Japan, or as close as most of us are going to get (by Saturday, anyway). Expect loads of live entertainment, arts and crafts tables, haiku readings, flower arranging, origami making, tea drinking, and tasty Japanese food as well as a huge crowds of cherry blossom gazing buddies for you to hang with.
April 9 & 10 | 10am-5pm | VanDusen Botanical Garden (5251 Oak) | $14 | DETAILS

BIKE THE BLOSSOMS | The good folks of Velopalooza (a local organization that promotes fun bike rides and activities around Vancouver) and the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival have joined forces to offer a free guided bike tour of some of the most stunning examples of tree-studded boulevards and parks in the city. The window for blossom viewing is short, so get on a bike and take it in. Bonus: Pop-Up City Hall and Project 529 will be on-site to help participants take some anti-bike-theft measures. Check out the full route here.
Sat, Apr. 9 | 11am–2pm | Leaves John Hendry (Trout Lake) Park, East Van at 11am | DETAILS

BUY LOCAL | Make your way to Heritage Hall this Sunday for the annual Nifty For Fifty sale. Not only is the concept (everything from clothes and shoes to trinkets and accessories priced for $50 or less) a good one, but the timing is also spot on for freshening up your wardrobe for Spring. Expect lots of vintage and handmade goods by local designers like Adhesif Clothing, Allison Wonderland, Daub+Design, Toodlebunny, Flightpath, and many more.
Sun, April 10 | 11am–8pm | Heritage Hall (3102 Main St.) | $2 | DETAILS

COMMUNITY | Roll up your sleeves and get a little messy at the Britannia Banner Workshop this weekend. The Britannia Community Centre provides materials and participants come with designs in mind to paint on to blank banners. Finished works will be displayed around the community centre site. The spirit behind the banner painting workshops is motivated by the words of urban planning superhero Jane Jacobs: “Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” That’s a solid premise for a Saturday of creating! Participants are asked to wear old clothes, bring a lunch, and a colour sketch of what they would like to see on their banner. Note that children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Sat, Apr 9 & Sun Apr 10 | 10am-4pm | $20 | DETAILS

POP-UP DINNER | The innovative,forward-thinking pop-up dinner specialists at Elementa PNW are at it again, this time at Harkness & Co. butcher shop on East Broadway. “With spring ramping up, this dinner will focus on shoots, sprouts, blossoms, sea vegetables and the first spring cultivars as well as beautiful pork from the North Okanagan Valley.” The seven course menu includes beverage pairings, canapés, and petit fours. Tickets are limited, so pounce now.
Mon, April 11 | 666 East Broadway | $140 | DETAILS