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 right now. Note that you can now get the Scout List straight to your inbox by signing up for your subscription here.

CELEBRATE | A shift in seasons also means new house cocktails at The Keefer Bar, whose “Spring Prescriptions” menu just dropped – and it’s dope. Drawing inspiration from superstitions around the globe and across time, the cocktails on this list aim to bring in luck and ward off evil (and taste mighty fine while doing it). Another reason to love The Keefer: they take the time to include a summary of the story behind each drink/superstition. Just click on the “i” beside each cocktail on the menu (here) to find out what you are getting into. Arrive early and start off with their Happy Hour menu (seriously, a $7 Daiquiri or a $5 Rosemary Gimlet? That’s a deal!) Have a look at The Keefer’s weekly schedule here. Book a table if you’re planning to attend with a group. See you there!

STAGE |Take a trip out to the charming Jericho Arts Centre for a quick drama fix via Henrik Ibsen (translated and adapted for stage). From production organisers: “Mesmerizing, enigmatic, destructive, Hedda Gabler is one of the theatre’s most infamous characters. Returning from her honeymoon, already bored with her marriage, Hedda finds herself caught between the brilliant but dissolute Ejlert Lovborg and the clutches of the predatory Judge Brack. As a shocking path of destruction unfolds, there can be only one outcome…” A spot of drama (when fictional) is a fun way to kick off spring. Get into it by scoring a ticket here. Bonus Diced restaurant is located in the same complex, and they make a mean burger (open Tuesday-Thursday until 5pm, and Friday-Sunday until 7pm).

ART | There’s a new exhibit of floral paintings by Shazmin Hussein going up on the walls of Slice of Life Gallery this week – perfectly timed for the arrival of Spring and the appearance of real flowers. The series was inspired by a vacation in Singapore, which opened Hussein’s eyes to new species in unexpected environments. From the artist statement: “I noticed their vibrancy and uniqueness, and they offered me a place to explore visually, contemplate, and grow. I wanted to bring back these souvenirs into my artwork…Flowers remind me that the true elixir of life is found when we pay attention to the beauty in our surroundings and live in the present.” Mother / Flower begins with an opening reception, Thursday evening, 6-10pm, and will be on display until next Tuesday, March 28th. Find out more.

GOT KIDS? | Grab some kids (that either belong to you, a friend or family member who gives you permission to borrow them, that is) and get them out to UBC’s Beaty Biodiversity Museum for Spring Break: Microscopic Exploration. From the museum: “Explore the world of all things tiny! We’ll use microscopes and magnifiers to look at amazing tiny creatures that have a big impact. You can even take a closer look at your own clothes and hair.” Gross and fun – how perfect! Open to all ages. Details here.

GIG | Los Angeles R&B duo, Emotional Oranges, will be performing at the Vogue this Sunday (March 26th). Pleasing harmonies between a & v (their pseudonyms) mix masculine and feminine vocals into a chill and saccharine yet soulful sound that manages to separate itself from the ubiquitous plasticity of “mallcore” Spotify anthems typical to the 90s R&B revivalist genre. Their latest album, The Juice: III, was released last year and still holds strong. It’s short (a spin time of less than 25 minutes) but sweet. The show starts at 8pm. Tickets (in the $22.50-$30 range) are General Admission, and you can swing by anytime after 7pm to grab the seats you want. Have a look at them here. It should be a great show!

WINE SCHOOL | Been looking for the right opportunity to don your “student cap” and pull up a seat at This is Wine School? Well, there’s an event happening next Tuesday that certainly has us excited to get into the Chinatown space’s classroom: local natural wine sweetheart, Kelsey Rufiange (winemaker at Else Wines and Echo Bay Vineyard) is kicking off TiWS’s new Headliners series by “chatting all things farm life” while sharing pours from upcoming Else and Echo Bay bottle releases. After an hour of tasting and sharing of knowledge, the classroom will switch into wine bar mode (yup, this is our kind of school!) It all starts at 6pm; tickets are $35 a pop. Secure yours here.

STOMPIN’ GRAPES | Who could use a little wine and disco? Then scoot down to Main Street’s coolest little event space, The Ellis Building (1024 Main St.), for an evening of funky wine sippin’ and dancing, with the good folks of Vin Van. No reservations needed, just show up! There’ll be plenty of space to mingle. Find out more.

HANDMADE | Looking to refresh your wardrobe for Spring? Don’t miss out on First Pick Handmade this weekend, a “handmade fashion and accessories show with a boutique department store feel.” Pick up jewellery, leather goods, clothing, bags and art – the Soft Side Workshop wall hangings by Vancouverite, Sarah Savoy (also owner of Much & Little boutique) are so beautiful! Short story: everything is handmade, local and cool. DETAILS.

DATE | Swing on down to the Hollywood Theatre this coming Tuesday, March 28th for “Dinner and a Movie”. Tickets to this event are sold in pairs and include admission to a screening of Oscar-winner, Everything Everywhere All At Once, paired with a shared mezze platter from Nuba. Tickets can also be bought individually for $10 each, but if you take this route then anticipate the regret you’ll experience when your neighbours are eating crispy cauliflower like it’s popcorn and you’re not. Do yourself and your date a solid by grabbing a couple of tickets here while they last. DETAILS.

SOLVE | The keen collection of architects, planners, designers and place-makers behind Urbanarium are hosting a debate about the DTES that needs as many ears as possible… From event organizers: “The Downtown Eastside Plan (2014) was created to protect low-income residents and other community members by restricting new development and uses not specifically targeting the poor. Many believe the DTES is Vancouver’s last authentic and compassionate neighbourhood in the city; others see a neighbourhood in decline. Is it time to rethink the DTES Plan to allow for a greater mix of self-supporting uses, residents and businesses? Or, does the DTES Plan effectively protect a vulnerable population and preserve/provide the best possibility for a cohesive neighbourhood?” Important issues. The evening kicks off with a reception from 6-7pm, followed by a debate (moderated by Frances Bula) from 7-8:30pm. Find out more.

The following events Don’T HAPPEN FOR A WHILE, but THEY’LL SELL OUT, so we’re telling you now:

CULTURE | The Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre is holding their annual spring festival, ‘O-Hanami’, this Saturday, April 1st. Hustle out to Burnaby to experience music, dance, arts and crafts, kimono dressing, cherry blossom viewing, a traditional tea ceremony and even a samurai sword fighting show performed by Japanese actors. There will also be plenty of food and drink – including a bento box lunch. Get into it – Spring is worth celebrating! Advance bookings are required for the tea ceremony, kimono dressing, and Sakura Bento. Get sorted here.

PREPARE | Picnic season is almost here! Prepare yourself for the shift to outdoor dining by signing up for a Hanami Bento Workshop with Object Handmade Studio Project. The next workshop dates are Saturday, April 1st and Sunday, April 2nd. Each includes a 2.5-hour-long in-studio session (10am-12:30pm or 1:30-4pm), and will get you sorted out with your own specially designed and glazed ceramic bento box (plus up to two small dishes) which you can then use at OH Studio’s next group picnic (planned for the weekend of April 15/16th) surrounded by the cherry blossom trees at David Lam Park and featuring a food menu by Chau Veggie. Tickets are $112 per person for all of your materials, instruction and delicious plant-based Vietnamese-inspired picnic foods…Start salivating over the details here.

GIGS | Tennis is playing at the Vogue Theatre on Thursday, April 20th. For the past decade, the husband-and-wife duo has been ostensibly committed to producing easy-breezy indie-pop that dissolves in your ears. But their latest album, Pollen, seems to have honed their soft, ‘cotton candy’ sound into something super tight and sharp. Rest assured that the balmy lyricism of previous albums has gone nowhere. With Pollen it’s been totally augmented, supported by groovy synth progressions and a central, endemic baseline that carries the listener through the whole album. It’ll be a rad show to see live. Doors open at 7pm; show starts at 8pm. Technically, it’s an “all ages” gig, but The Vogue should be running a beverage situation in some capacity… although, it’s at that perfect time in the evening when you can catch happy hour somewhere nearby beforehand, and/or slip out for a cocktail afterward. Wrangle some friends and make a night of it! Grab your tickets here.

COMMUNITY. NOT CLICKBAIT.