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 May 16 to May 22, 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.
MAKE SOMETHING | Object Hand Studio’s latest ‘Feast to Form’ workshop kicks off on Sunday. This one is all about matcha tea. Here’s a rundown of the format: During three two-hour long sessions over the next three Sunday mornings participants get to design and build from scratch their very own original matcha tea bowl, spoon and side plate, and then put their new set to use during an instructional tea tasting with a Whisk Premium Matcha expert. Making something functional and beautiful with your own two hands is one of the most empowering feelings and I can’t think of a more rewarding or cooler way to enjoy a cup of matcha! Find out more.
IMMERSE | Couldn’t swing a trip to the country this long weekend? Don’t worry, VIVO Media Arts Centre has come up with a back-up plan — a sleepover art exhibition that mimics a sleepover in the wild. Yep, this is a real thing: “As part of the Wetland Project exhibition by Brady Marks and Mark Timmings, VIVO Media Arts will be hosting an uninterrupted, 24-hour exhibition of the audio-visual installation featuring a 5-channel audio recording of the Saturna Island marshes.” You don’t have to sleep over to take in the sounds of the marshes (VIVO will open to the general public for extended hours, Friday 9 am–11 pm), but if you want to, you can register to spend the night ‘camping’ in the Wetland installation (BYO sleeping bag). Fall asleep to the sound of singing frogs and awake to the dawn bird chorus without worrying about bug spray or ferry fare! Plus, it’s all free. Find out more.
SWIM | Outdoor public pools are open! Kits, New Brighton, Maple Grove, and Second Beach – all lovely, deep, cool and waiting for you. Pro-tip: Kits opens earliest (7am), so if you’re looking to beat the crowds for a spot of exercise via laps, this is the time to go. Oh, and the early bird does score the best towel real estate, so there is that to consider too. Information on swimming schedules and admission fees can be found here.
PLAYLAND | The weather is warm, the weekend is long…why not cement that summer vibe with a trip to Playland? Treat yourself to a wander through the fairgrounds; feast on cotton candy, mini-doughnuts and potato tornados; throw a few balls at something and take a crazy ride — and maybe not in that order as it’s a good idea to save the over-eating until after the rides. That ol’ Pirate Ship can really shake things up. Find out more.
PARTY | Hit The Beaumont Studios on Friday night. Vancouver band Humans is set to drop a new video and they plan to do it at The Beaumont along with Regular Fantasy, Slim Media Player and B2B Nap. Pop your head in for a first look at the video and fill up on some overall good vibes that come with a bunch of talented people gathered together to “play some records – for dance reasons”. Find out more.
HISTORY | Selwyn Pullan worked as a photographer in B.C. from the 1950’s through the 70’s. Although he considered himself a commercial photographer (specializing art and architecture) his work captured the spirit West Coast modernism. Luckily the photographer’s work landed in the collection of the West Vancouver Museum where it could be appreciated, preserved and shared. Museum curator Kiriko Watanabe has recently pulled a compelling mix of images from the collection for the museum’s new exhibition, Selwyn Pullan: What’s Lost. From the West Vancouver Museum: “What’s Lost is both a tribute to Selwyn Pullan and a reflection on a vanishing era. The exhibition includes portraits of architects and artists, as well as images of residential and commercial buildings and interiors that once formed part of the region’s urban and cultural fabric, but have since succumbed to the ravages of time and pressures of redevelopment.” Be transported back in time through images of “Vancouver’s ubiquitous neon lights, a pre-condo cityscape and a period when ties, pearls, and cigarettes were all part of the dining out experience.” Make a day of it; take a walk on the seawall; have some lunch and take in the exhibition. For an extra cool vantage point, slip into the Curator’s Exhibition Tour next Saturday (May 26, 2pm). Find out more.
RELAX | This is a long weekend folks, so make the most of it. Hit the trails out at the Endowment Lands; walk the seawall; spread a blanket on the grass at your local park and stare at the sky. Any long weekend is a good one, but when it comes loaded with sunshine and warm weather, it’s something special. A patio hangout with a cocktail in-hand might be a good place to devise a plan. Havana on Commercial Drive has just reopened under new ownership with a tidy list of new sippers. Get sippin’.
FLEA | The good folks at Eastside Flea throw down with a Spring Harvest Market this Friday night. This event is all about food. Nibble, taste, sip, and sample your way through table after booth showcasing items from local artisanal food vendors. Meet makers, listen to music, eat the food and drink the drinks. You gotta love the low commitment, high fun factor at Eastside Flea, so jump in and let the vibe set the tone for your weekend. See you there! Find out more.
VANCAF 2018 | If you’re staying in town for the holiday weekend, don’t forget to check out this year’s Vancouver Comic Arts Festival. The main event goes down all day Saturday and Sunday at the Roundhouse, which will be abuzz with the creative energy of dozens of comic artists and publishers from Vancouver and around the world. There are also a bunch of discussions, signings and workshops happening during and in conjunction with the festival, including a couple of talks on Friday evening at the Central Library with local Johnnie Christmas and three visiting artists from France. Whether you’re a die-hard comic fan or a graphic novel naif, this is your once-a-year opportunity to get turned on to the amazing, wide range of styles, applications and genres from the expansive Comic Arts community and its fringes! Find out more.
EXPLORE | Kick off the holiday weekend right and make the most of those amazing post-work sunny evening hours on Friday by digging out whatever semblance of sports ball/racket you may have and pulling together a few friends to hit up Robson Park in the Fraserhood. The park is fitted with a soccer field and basketball court, plus a playground and swingset, so you can wake up those hibernating muscles at whatever speed inspires you. There are scads of great food options nearby to keep your energy levels up, but keep the vibes low-key and summery by grabbing some take-out for a picnic on the grass with burritos from Sal y Limon or a couple of Barbarella pizzas to share. After you’ve worked up a sweat throwing/kicking and just moving your body in general, reward yourself with beers around the corner on the awesome new Bells & Whistles patio. That will be just the fortification and relaxation you need to make the ten minute trek uphill along Fraser to Earnest Ice Cream (try their seasonal Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel and East Van Roasters Ghost Chocolate flavours). Check out our Fraserhood guide for more suggestions on making the most of the area.
FORT LANGLEY | Head out to Fort Langley this weekend for the annual Food + Beer Festival. All day Saturday the event will be taking over the National Historic Site, with 25 BC breweries pouring more than 60 beers, plus over 20 delicious food options. The general admission price will get your whistle wet with 3 drink tokens plus the 4oz taster glass to sip them from (additional tokens will be available for purchase). The ticket also grants you admission to the National Park, so you might as well make the most of your day and head out early (the Park opens at 10am) so you can imbibe in some history while you’re at it. The event is coming close to selling out, so if a field trip and a triple whammy of good food, beer and history out in the sun sounds appealing then don’t wait to grab yours now! Find out more.
OUT OF TOWN BONUS
WHISTLER | Summer wine season is about to take off! Whistler’s Nita Lake Lodge is starting off its Sip & Savour Winemaker Dinner series on May 22nd by welcoming Osoyoos’ La Stella Winery to showcase a selection of their best wines alongside a four-course dinner by the hotel’s Executive Chef James Olberg. Besides enjoying some of BC’s best seasonal offerings, this is also an opportunity to check out the Lodge’s newly updated Aura restaurant, by wining and dining on their truly awesome 80-seat patio while breathing the fresh mountain air and taking in the awesome lakeside views. If you agree that the most agonizing thing about summer wine season is trying to decide on and budget for all of the delicious events, then you’ll definitely want to take the opportunity to enter this contest, which includes two tickets to the dinner!
But , what about the Royal Wedding!!!!! if you are awake at 4am on Saturday morning.