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 December 4 to December 11, 2019. Note that you can also 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.

WRITE IT DOWN | It’s letter writing season at the Regional Assembly of Text. Get it together now and you can get your holiday greeting card list well underway with hand-written cards. Think about that for a second. How great would it be to have something other than bank statements and phone bills come through that old mail slot this holiday season? Do a good thing. Send someone a card! Find out more.

GIN & VINTAGE | Odd Society Spirits partners with Bad Abby Vintage for a sweet Fashion and Art Fair this Thursday/Friday. Not only will you be able to check out locally made art and thoughtfully chosen vintage clothing, but you’ll also be able to relax with a hot cider or a cocktail crafted from spirits made onsite at the distillery. Shop small, make friends, drink cocktails — sounds like a solid December activity to me! Find out more.

EXPLORE | The CBC is holding their annual open house day on Friday. Head down to the state of the art broadcast centre at 700 Hamilton Street to poke around behind-the-scenes (take a tour of the newsroom, watch live broadcasts of shows like The Early Edition, BC Today, North by Northwest, and On The Coast), you could even meet a CBC journalist or two! The primary goal of this day is to raise funds to support the thousands of British Columbians that rely on food banks, so if you go, please remember to take along some non-perishable donations to contribute to the cause. Find out more.

GOT CRAFT | The good folks at Got Craft have once again assembled a top-notch line-up of artisans, designers and makers under one roof in order to deliver some great local and handmade quality with mall-style convenience without the mall-style gross. You’ll be able to pick up everything from socks, cards and textiles to wooden mushrooms, felted avocados and maple bacon sea salt. Perfect for gift-giving, cupboard-lining and self-indulgence! Take a look at the impressive vendor list here.

KRAMPUS-TIME | Not feeling the whole Santa vibe? Maybe 2019 is the year to go Krampus! Not sure where to begin? That’s easy: Strange Fellows Brewery. Hit this phenomenal Eastside palace of beer this Friday, Saturday and Sunday for a dose of all things Krampus: Krampusmarkt (an indie craft fair that features everything from oddly exquisite ceramics, jewellery, linens to baked goods, leather, stationary, metalwork and honey from 30+ unique artisans); as well as lots of Krampus happy beer ( Krampus himself will even be in attendance for his annual photo sitting (Sat Dec 7, 1-3pm and Sun Dec 8, 1-3pm). There’s nothing like a visit with a Christmas monster to propel you into the weekend with purpose. Best goth or ugly Xmas sweater attire encouraged for full effect.  Find out more.

CERAMICS | Chinatown’s Hand-Eye Design Studio just moved shop. Don’t worry, the cool-as-heck ceramics work space has only moved around the corner – but still – a move is a move, and once a move is done, a celebration is in order! Which brings us to the point of this entry on The Scout List: Hand-Eye is throwing a celebratory sale complete with ceramics demonstrations this weekend! Scoot in to check out the wares of nine talented ceramic artists, investigate the space, learn a little about individual classes and family workshops on the horizon and generally have a good time meeting new people. Extra bonus: 15% of sales go to The Lantern Fund, a Canadian-based non-profit which supports teaching programs for women and youth in Afghanistan (more about that here), so you can leave feeling good about the mug you just purchased. See you at Hand-Eye on Saturday! Find out more.

SCIENCE | Hustle westward this Sunday and hit UBC’s annual Physics & Astronomy fair. From UBC: “This year the show will feature creative and quirky ways a physicist might solve everyday problems! Your alarm clock won’t stop? Lightbulbs don’t work? Recycling pop cans is a chore? No problem! Join us to find solutions to these inconveniences and learn the physics and science behind everyday things – through demonstrations and hands-on activities.” All handy things to get to the bottom of, right? This event is free and a good time for kids and adults who like to learn cool stuff. Just be sure to bring along a non-perishable food item, as donations are being collected for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank! Find out more.

ESCAPE | Like the idea of taking in holiday lights and decorations, but not excited about cold fingers, nose and toes? The Bloedel Conservatory could be just the ticket. This modernist oasis of tropical cool, with it’s artificially warm temperatures, exotic plants, luscious flowers and scores of free-flying tropical birds, adds to its awesome with holiday themed light displays and festive music now through January 5th. Take cover under the triodetic dome for some holiday cheer. Use your imagination and you might just forget how miserable it is outside! Find out more.

RELATE | Unless you spend every moment of every day in a state of complete bliss in your relationship with the first person you ever had feelings for, you will probably find something in Marriage Story that strikes a chord. Plus Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern, Ray Liotta, Wallace Shawn, Julie Hagerty, and Alan Alda? People are saying that writer-director Noah Baumbach made a pretty good movie with this one. Having said that, there is only one way to find out for yourself… Screenings run at various times all weekend (and until December 31). Find out more.

SLOW DOWN | December has a way of getting hectic. Traffic, social engagements, shopping…the general velocity of the city jumps up a few notches this month, so for the love of all things wonderful try to pace yourself. Take a few hours out to wander one of Vancouver’s beaches. No one will be there, and we have lots of them to choose from. Bonus: they’re free. Solitude, clear water and sand, can give yourself a better present than that this time of year? Note: a flask or thermos of something warming is a nice touch.