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 October 30 to November 11, 2020. 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.

HALLOWEEN POP-UP | There’s a very special Halloween bake sale happening on the lawn at East 16th Avenue (slightly west of Main Street) this Saturday. We’re talking next-level treats like: homemade deep dish pizza by the slice, pumpkin miso-caramel pop tarts and Gleaned City Cider made from foraged Vancouver apples. Pizza pre-orders are a must, so get on that ASAP here. Extra good bit: proceeds are being donated to the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre’s meal program. Find out more.

LOST SOULS | There may not be a Parade of Lost Souls this year but the enthusiastic, creative and community-minded lot who put on the annual event have re-tooled it to keep you busy at home with a dance party, scary stories, shrine building, game playing and piñata whacking. Find out everything you need to know here.

WANDER | The second full moon to fall in a calendar month is known as a Blue Moon. If clouds cooperate (and it’s looking like they might) you’ll be able to glimpse a Blue Moon in the sky on Saturday night. A moon like this is a relatively rare occurrence, but to have one fall on a Halloween? This hasn’t happened since 1944! Take it in. We may not be having a full-on Halloween this year, but I’m seeing some beautifully carved pumpkins and imaginative decorations around my neighbourhood and think a crisp moonlit walk around yours could be a good time.

DARKNESS | Not to bum you out, but clocks go back on Saturday night – technically at 2am on Sunday morning. An hour doesn’t seem like much, but it does tend to leave me feeling slightly lost. I find that a deliberately empty Sunday that starts with home-made crepes can help with the adjustment. Need a recipe? I use Martha’s, and it’s right here.

LIGHT | Not emotionally prepared to face that lost hour of light? Lumiere Festival might be able to help distract you from the always-too-soon reality of winter’s darker days. Although it’s less ‘festival’ and more light installation this year, we still like the idea of a bright destination for an evening walk. This year, installations will be concentrated in two locations: English Bay and Jim Deva Plaza beginning November 5th. Find out more.

ADMIRE | Speaking of pop-ups, you should check out the line-up of local emerging artists at the Wood, Paper, Scissors exhibition at The Art Shop this week. From event organizers: “The participating artists work with materials of strong and natural qualities; from repurposed wood, to hand dyed fabrics, to paper cutting and collage. Transforming what was once its own raw entity into a work of art – the artists reconsider, repurpose, and redefine how art can differ from the traditional paint on canvas.” Have a peek here.

LEARN | UBC Farm offers a few interesting (online) community workshops this week: DIY Kombucha on November 3rd at 5:30 pm and Mushroom Foraging on November 5th at 6:00 pm.

EAT LOCAL | Don’t panic, Summer Farmers Market season is indeed over but it’s not like you have to push through the next seven months without a weekly visit with local farmers and their tasty food! The bravest of local producers gather their goods at Winter Farmers Markets to keep us well fed through the colder months. There are two winter markets to choose from: Riley Park on Saturday or the PNE on Sunday. Grab your reusable shopping bag and load up on all your fruits and veggie needs as well as fresh bread, honey, dried fruits and scores of other goodies. Find out more.

EXPLORE | This is perfect weather for exploring! Pull on some gear and get hiking. We suggest a few hours on the trails out at Pacific Spirit Park or a trip our to Iona Beach for salt air and big sky. Saturday and Sunday are both expected to have a little bit of sunshine, so take full advantage!

ART | Kicking off next Thursday evening (November 5th), and running all weekend long, local artists Paige Bowman and Kira Buro will be displaying 30 works of collaborative art in the Slice of Life gallery. The show is called Dancing in Place, and explores ideas of “playing, weaving and dancing” between the artists’ respective worlds together. From what we’ve seen of their individual works, we’re expecting Dancing in Place to have some colourful and trippy results… The artists’ works will also be available for purchase at the gallery and online in a variety of formats from stickers to original paintings, for those who want to scoop up a piece for themselves. For a bit of supplementary reading, you can check out our ‘Vancouverites’ interview with Bowman here.