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.

SMOKE | In spite of the rain, this Thursday (aka 420 Day) hundreds, if not thousands of people will gather at Sunset Beach to celebrate marijuana. In the past, this gathering was all about legalizing pot; now that the issue of legalization is resolved, this is less of a rally with a political objective and more like a crowd of stoned people… albeit not an insignificant one. It will likely be a good time for many. At a MINIMUM, expect pot cookies, smoking tents, bongo drums, naked people and wizards. The first reefers are lit around Noon, and the cloud of blue love gathers all day, reaching a hazy zenith at 4:20pm. So, if you plan on driving downtown on Thursday, you’ll want to avoid Beach Avenue North of the Burrard Street Bridge (near the Aquatic Centre). Actually, you might just want to give the whole ‘driving anywhere’ through the West End a skip. Go on foot. Find out more.

EARTH | This Saturday, April 22nd is Earth Day. Take some time out to show your respect for the planet. Turn off lights and appliances; hit a beach and pick up things you know shouldn’t be there; stand in a forest and send thanks and good vibes to the trees. Looking for something more structured? Hustle your way to Stanley Park to take part in Earth Day events organized by the Stanley Park Ecological Society. Expect guided walks, informative talks, crafts, games, and invasive plant removal work. Activities run 10:30am-3pm in the fields near the tennis courts (right by Stanley Park Brewing Brewpub). Find out more.

VINYL | Record Store Day is also happening on Saturday, and all of the independently-run record stores across the city are looking forward to seeing you! Hit up your local purveyor of vinyl for exclusive record releases, special deals, and the generally delightful coming together of people who love music. Don’t have a record player? No problem! You can also show your support by shopping your neighbourhood record store for concert tickets, posters, and t-shirts. Shout out to Red Cat Records, Neptoon, Dandelion, Zulu, and Highlife (and many others) for continuing to supply Vancouverites with all sorts of record-related fun. Find out more.

REPAIR | Have you got a busted blender or malfunctioning coffee maker laying around? Don’t kick your broken bits to the curb in frustration – fix them! Don’t know how? Hit City Hall for the Community Repair Event this weekend, where you can get help from a team of handy volunteer fixers. Score a free appointment time slot (between 9:30am and 12:30pm) to receive in-person repair help by booking in advance here. Find out more.

RABBIT HOLE | No matter how precise, efficient, or focused our intentions may have been, we’ve all inadvertently fallen into rabbit holes while browsing Wikipedia. It’s too easy! Three consecutive clicks on terms highlighted in blue can take you from a list of World Chess Championships to a comprehensive study on Dolomitic Limestone. It’s not just us… DepthsOfWikipedia is dedicated to curating some of the most obscure and absurd articles on the internet’s free encyclopedia. Choice cuts include: Water Pie, Kitten with 23 Toes, and Yeehaw Junction, Florida. DepthsOfWikipedia founder, Annie Rauwerda, is putting on two live shows at the Rio Theatre this Friday, April 21. To be honest, we have absolutely zero idea what to expect, but we’ve got our money on an esoteric and strange odyssey into obscura. So pause the Adderall, and submit to the rapidly narrowing absurd specificity that Wikipedia offers. Find out more.

EAT | Chancho Tortilleria – a popular fixture in Vancouver’s Yaletown neighbourhood for many years – recently re-located to Commercial Drive. Hit up the friendly Mexican restaurant for Chips and Guacamole, Chilaquiles and Tortas, as well as Chancho’s famous tacos (including their killer Campechano,pork shoulder and belly combo filling) using what are easily the best tortillas available in Vancouver, made in house. Wash it all down with your choice of margarita, Paloma, Michelada, cold beer, and/or booze-free, mostly Mexican bottled drinks.

PHOTOGRAPHY | The Capture Photography Festival continues this week. In addition to showcasing all manner of ‘lens-based art’ created by emerging and established artists from here and around the world, Capture 2023 also offers a series of tours and talks. We aim to head to The Fairmont Pacific Rim, where Equinox Gallery has curated the show Paying Attention, a group exhibition featuring a line-up of photo superstars, like Berenice Abbott, Stan Douglas, Walker Evans, Fred Herzog, Geoffrey James, Vivian Maier, and George Tice. From Equinox: “This exhibition looks at photographers whose work articulates fleeting, often-overlooked moments in the evolution of their urban environments during periods of rapid growth and transition. Spanning several cities over the past 100 years, these artists are united in the understanding that what is most familiar in modern life is often what is most impermanent, and its significance may only be felt once it has disappeared.” Super into it! Find out more. Scout Arts & Culture Contributor, Kristin Lim, also has a few more suggestions here.

GIGS | Tennis is playing at the Vogue Theatre on Thursday, April 20th. For the past decade, the husband-and-wife duo has been 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, though; with Pollen it’s been 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, and the music 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.

HISTORY | Interested in amping up your local history knowledge? Keen on finding an out-of-the-house adventure that won’t leave you soaking wet? The Friends of the Vancouver City Archives are hosting an evening of storytelling with author Eve Lazarus who will recount a selection of her favourite stories from her book, Vancouver Exposed: Searching for the City’s Hidden History. “Vancouver Exposed is a nostalgic romp through the city’s past, from buried houses to nudist camps, from belly-flop contests to eccentric museums. Featuring historic black-and-white and colour photographs throughout, the book reveals the true heart of the city: one that is endlessly evolving and always full of surprises.” Should be an illuminating afternoon. Find out more.

GET OUTSIDE | Let’s just say it: the weather has been pretty sucky lately, and it’s not looking like it will improve over the weekend. But there is a chance that the sun may come out on Sunday (don’t worry, I knocked on wood after I wrote that — you should too after reading it). If that happens, drop everything and get outside, because it will not likely stick. Hit a beach, take a hike – you know the drill. Jericho, Kits, the Endowment Lands, Stanley Park’s seawall or the North Shore are all good options. If the latter, we suggest Twin Bridges and Homestead Trail Loop in the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve. Homestead is an easy 45-minute hike (with a few stretches of more challenging elevation) taking you through the forest, along streams and, at points, by a rushing river. After you’re done, take yourself to United Strangers to treat yourself to a killer chai latte and a well-deserved doughnut. But wherever you go, remember that the ground will be soggy and the mud will be fresh…this is not the best time to break out new kicks. So play it safe and wear your old gumboots.

COMMUNITY. NOT CLICKBAIT.