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 January 29 to February 4, 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.

MAKE | Good news, fellow pie lovers! There are two pie-centric workshops happening at The Pie Shoppe this weekend (Thu, Jan. 30 6:30pm and Sun, Feb. 2, 10am). Topics covered will include: winter fruit (apples and pears) and how to prepare them for a pie; how to make flaky pie crust (and a little bit about the butter vs. shortening debate); some basics about understanding natural pectin, starches and sugars; how to work with organic flours, fats, oils; and how to create decorative edges and tops with pie dough. Workshop #1 is at night and involves wine tasting, and workshop #2 is perfectly timed for brunch. Both classes are taught by Stephanie French, co-owner & baker at The Pie Shoppe. Participants will leave with a whole pie, recipes, tips, and – if all goes well – a few new friends. Find out more.

LEARN | One isn’t awarded a Nobel Prize for nothing. In some cases, it requires an above average understanding to even comprehend what the winner is being recognized for. Having someone to synthesize and convey the significance is a great help. Enter the SFU Faculty of Science! Every year around this time they celebrate the newly-awarded Nobel Prize winners in chemistry, physics and medicine/physiology by asking their learned faculty members to take the stage and “explain the impact of these prizes to the community and highlight the connection between fundamental and applied research.” Expect to hear about advances in the Energy Revolution, “Cosmic Conundrums” and molecular biology. Doors open (with light refreshments served) at 6:30pm. Lecture and Q&A runs from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. This event is free, but registration is requested. Find out more.

LEARN MORE | Head out to UBC and hit the the stunningly designed Beaty Biodiversity Museum to sit in on their monthly Way Cool Biodiversity series lecture. This time around, the museum presents a talk about what makes dragonflies so cool with Dr. Rassim Khelifa (postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia). Dr. Khelifa will discuss his research on how dragonflies are responding to climate change, as well as issues relating to dragonfly behavioural ecology. From the Museum: “Dragonflies have fascinated and captivated the interest of people and scientists for centuries. They are among the most noticeable species in freshwater habitats and thus are good model organisms to study the biology, behaviour, and test evolutionary theories. They are also good sentinel species to track climate change.” Learning about the dragonfly can help us to understand the larger context of environmental health. Dig in. Find out more.

DINE OUT | Dine Out ends this Sunday! This year, 300 restaurants are on board offering everything from discounted, multi-course and prix fixe meals ($15, $25, $35 and $45 per person) to special events and classes (love the sound of the Chinatown Dumpling Masterclass) there is still a lot of ground to cover! Don’t forget to hustle yourself down to the plaza at the Vancouver Art Gallery for Street Food City (runs until Feb. 6th). Find out all the details here.

GET THRIFTY | Gastown’s Community Thrift & Vintage recently launched a new arm of their thrift empire. The Studio is the crème de la crème of the regular collection – the designer, vintage, sought after pieces that make your eyes light up with a “I-must-have-this” glow. We’re talking WWII denim coveralls; original old school concert t’s; delicate Victorian tops; Antique Edwardian textiles and original; 1950’s Wranglers; 1960’s Levis; and so more. For an up-close look at The Studio collection, hit the opening party this Friday night (6-9pm). Extra special tip: enter The Studio’s Instagram contest (here) for the chance to win a cool $100 to spend in the shop. Access The Studio Tuesday through Saturday from 10am to 2pm by contacting the folks at Community Thrift & Vintage. You can bet we’ll be adding this stop to our next thrift adventure! Speaking of which, if you’re feeling inspired to make a day of it, be sure to check out this map of our favourite vintage stores around Vancouver before you set out.

HEALTH | The Wellness Show is on at the Vancouver Convention Centre this weekend. Expect everything from panel discussions, seminars and cooking demonstrations to mediation spaces, green living products and even a bit of table tennis. Chef Steve Kuan (Torafuku) will be there demonstrating how to make a healthy recipe of quinoa mixed with pan-roasted winter root miso vinaigrette (3:30 Saturday). Fadi Eid (Jamjar) will be letting attendees know how to make Warak Enab (hand-rolled stuffed grape leaves) and Tabbouli Salad (Saturday 11am). On Sunday, The Arbor will school you on how to make Wild BC Mushroom Cabbage Rolls (4pm), and Bauhaus will be whipping up Monkfish with Bavarian cabbage and curry cream. 2 days, 250 exhibitors, 100 speaking, cooking and fitness demonstrations — that’s a lot of wellness!  Find out more.

GROUNDHOG DAY | Tradition has it that if a groundhog crawls out of its burrow on this day and fails to see its shadow, we can expect an early end to winter. If, on the other hand, the little bugger sees its shadow, winter will continue for six more weeks. Regardless of the outcome, Sunday is a fine day to get a great big bowl of popcorn and settle on the couch for a home screening of Groundhog Day. Because when is Bill Murray ever a bad idea? Sun, Feb. 2 | Sun, Feb. 2 | Sun, Feb. 2 | See what I did there?

TAILGATE | If you’re ever going to jump on the NFL bandwagon, this is the weekend to do it! Super Bowl 54 goes down on Sunday. Looking for a crowd to share the excitement of seeing the San Francisco 49ers go up against the Kansas City Chiefs with? Make your way over to Bells & Whistles for their 2nd annual Tailgate Extravaganza. From their PR: “Starting with all the pre-game prognostications, interviews and features that lead up to the 3:30 p.m. kickoff of the most-watched live TV event in North America, the big screens at Bells and Whistles will showcase the full Super Bowl experience — including the halftime festivities — with live audio broadcast throughout the space [as well as] football-friendly food and drink specials that include a selections of draught beer for $5.50; Negronis or glasses of Bench 1775 Pinot Gris or Lock & Worth Merlot for $7; and Classic hot dogs for $5”. Word to the wise: walk-ins will only be accommodated for standing-room spots if space permits; guests are recommended to reserve a spot in advance by calling the restaurant at 604-620-7990 or emailing eat [at] bellsandwhistlesyvr.ca. Find out more.

CULINARY ADVENTURE | Got dinner plans Sunday? The Swallow Tail’s Pacific Northwest Secret Supper sure sounds like a good reason to make some! From elk and salmon to Salt Spring clams, fresh local snapper and foraged berries, the five course prix fixe menu draws inspiration from up and down our coast. Vegetarian options available. For a look at the details of the menu (and to book your tickets) have a look here.

HONEYLAND | Wow. Have you seen the trailer for Honeyland? It looks fantastic. Thought-provoking, beautifully filmed, and winner of the ‘World Cinema Best Documentary’ category at The Sundance Film Festival. It’s a story about humanity and the delicate balance of nature that has the kind of gravity deserving of the big screen. Vancity Theatre is showing Honeyland this Friday and Sunday. Can’t wait. Find out more.

TAKE ACTION | Clear a little time on your schedule for an evening of education, discussion, and live music! “Bold Actions for a Climate Emergency” brings together some of Greater Vancouver’s most creative and compelling thinkers on Climate Change to speak at The Orpheum Theatre on Monday night. Not only will attendees hear from representatives from UBC, SFU, Vancouver Coastal Health, the COV, and the Squamish Nation Council, as well as local youth activists Sustainabiliteens, they will also be treated to music (Hey Ocean! closes out the evening with a live performance). Doors open at 6pm with a chance to learn more and get involved through an exhibition of local organizations and opportunities set up in the Orpheum lobby. Speakers take the stage from 6:45 until 9:30pm. Tickets are $20 each (discounted prices are available for high school and university students) and you can get yours, along with more details, by heading over here.