The main objective of this website is to scout out and promote the things that make Vancouver such a sweet place to be. We do this with an emphasis on the city’s independent spirit to foster a sense of connectedness within and between our communities, and to introduce our readers to the people who grow and cook our food, play the raddest tunes in our better venues, create our most interesting art, and design everything from what we wear to the spaces we inhabit.

The Scout List is our carefully considered first rate list of super awesome things that we’re either doing, wishing that we could do, or conspiring to do this week. From our calendar to yours…

FOOD

Oktoberfest

La Brasserie, a Davie Street favourite for Franco-German comfort food, will be celebrating its first anniversary in October. Paying homage to their German roots, owners Michael and Stephen Wiese will be offering up three days of special Oktoberfest menu items, leading up to a Bavarian birthday blowout on Sunday, October 4th.
1091 Davie | 604-568-6499 | LaBrasserieVancouver.com

RIPE

The 1st annual fundraising evening of local food, beer and wine – dubbed RIPE – goes down at Granville Island’s Performance Works on October 1st in support of Vancouver Farmer’s Markets. Guests will be supporting a range of initiatives made possible with the net proceeds, including the Farmers Nest Egg Fund (aiding vendor-farmers, nurturing and expanding the network of local farmers who make our markets so great) and the New City Market, a state-of the-art, sustainable, LEED-certified, multi-function venue designed to house a year-round farmers market and resource facility. Scout is the event’s Signature Media Sponsor, so we’ll definitely see you there.
October 1 | 6-10pm | Performance Works on Granville Island | INFO

Sustenance: Feasting on Art and Culture

Sustenance is a series of fantastic food related events that “endeavours to connect the communities of art, culture, and food security. From global to local, from historic to present day, the art and culture of food will be something everyone can feast on.” Opening celebrations for this festival take place at The Roundhouse this weekend and include an interactive art installation (works by Michele Kambolis, Rob Symmers, Cameron MacDonald, as well as a photo exhibit of local farmers and producers entitled Heroes, seed maps, farm quilts, food photography, film and video), a reading and book signing with Vancouver author Timothy Taylor, live music and (of course) amazing local food and drink.
Oct 3 | 6pm| Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre |

Do It Yourself Food Day

Head over to Britannia Centre on Commercial Drive today to take part in one of their super-cool food preparation workshops. No experience is necessary and you can register for as many as you like at only $10 each, why not make a day of it? Here is the line-up: at Canning the Seasons (10am – 12:30pm), participants will learn the basics of canning seasonal fruit. At Breadmaking for Beginners (10:00am – 12:00pm), you’re taught the basics of making your own tasty and healthy breads. At Eating Healthy on a Tight Budget (2:30pm – 5pm ), you will explore ways to cook wholesome, ethical, tasty and affordable food (it ain’t all that tricky). Alternatively, learn to make your own tasty and nutritional sauerkraut in the Fermentation workshop (12:30pm – 2:30pm).
Oct 3 | Various times | Britannia Centre | $10 | For information please call: 604-718-5895

Eat Local!

October, very sadly, sees the closure of Vancouver’s fantastic outdoor farmer’s markets for the winter season. Make the most of these last days and hit the market in your neighbourhood for delicious breads, jams and canned veggies, as well as harvest fresh produce like onions, green onions, radishes, shallots, spinach, sprouts, Swiss chard, garlic scapes, beets, carrots, squash, pumpkins, and corn. It’s a pretty awesome time of year. Enjoy it while it lasts. PS. Dear 2009 soil, thanks.
East Side: Saturdays until Oct 10 | 9am – 2pm | Trout Lake | FREE
West End: Saturdays until Oct 24 | 9am – 2pm | 1100 Block of Comox | FREE
Kits: Sundays until Oct  25 | 10am – 2pm | Kits Community Centre | FREE
DTES: Wednesdays until Oct 21 | 3pm – 7pm | Thornton Park | FREE
UBC: Saturdays | 9-1 | UBC Farm | FREE (but make a donation)
West Van: Sundays until October 25 | 9am – 2pm | Ambleside – cop shop parking lot (off Bellevue & 13)

LECTURES

Serious Book Nerdness

For all of you book nerds out there (I say that with incredible affection), be sure to get your wicked geek on at the SFU Special Collections series. Jim Rainer is speaking on his life and times collecting books. The range his bibliophilia takes him varies to include press books, the book arts, books on gardening, books on baseball, and…wouldn’t you know it…mechanical pencils. Refreshments follow the lecture in magnificent nerd co-mingling. The event is free but reservations are required. Reserve by calling 778-782-6704 or by emailing [email protected] with the words “You’re A Nerd” in the subject line (totally kidding, this will be awesome).
Oct 7 | 7:30 – 9 pm | SFU Harbour Centre Room rm 2200 | FREE

Vancouver Institute Presents…

Dr. Charles Jencks (Architectural theorist, landscape architect and designer from Dumfries, Scotland) throws down at the Vancouver Institute: “Jencks is famous for his innovative garden designs. In 2004 the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art won the Gulbenkian Prize as Museum of the Year for Dr. Jencks’ dramatic and radical landscape project titled Landform. His recent work includes fractal designs of buildings and furniture, as well as extensive landscape designs based on complexity theory, waves, and solitons. These themes are expanded in his own private garden, the Garden of Cosmic Speculation, at Portrack House near Dumfries, Scotland. He is also a furniture designer and sculptor, completing the DNA Sculpture in London’s Kew Gardens in 2003. Dr. Jencks is the trustee and co-founder (with his late wife Maggie Keswick) and designed the gardens for the unique Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centres, a series of buildings and grounds in various cities built with the belief that architecture and form could provide healing and comfort to those battling cancer. Co-sponsored by the Vancouver Biennale.”
Oct 3 | 8:15 | Lecture Hall No. 2 in the Woodward Centre @ UBC | FREE

Gehry Technologies: Confluences and Paradigm Shifts

At Emily Carr this week you can catch a lecture with Hanif Janmohamed. Janmohamed’s “human-centered, art-infused approach to design has resulted in award winning design for projects including the CD-ROM Glenn Gould: The New Listener; video exhibitions on the work of Frank Gehry; User Interface design for Nikon Digital; and Confluences – The Design and Realization of the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Janmohamed is currently exploring the design implications of the poetic object, and is part of a team developing a real-time collaborative web-based platform called OMBU.
Oct 8 | 3:50pm – 5pm | Lecture Hall 301, Emily Carr University | FREE

COMMUNITY

Hastings Park/PNE Master Plan Open House

Drop by an open house to share your ideas and suggestions on the future of Hastings Park. Its your chance to learn about the Hastings Park/PNE Master Plan, which is rethinking the park as a greener, more active, year-round destination. The plan also includes renewal of the Pacific National Exhibition and Playland, and improved connections to the waterfront and surrounding community. Your feedback will help guide the Master Plan and a new vision for Hastings Park.
Oct 03 |11 am – 4 pm | Granville Island, Courtyard behind the Market | FREE

New City Market

New City Market: Take part in an informative, action-oriented presentation and discussion on Vancouver’s local food scene, discover plans for a new city market that will bring Vancouver fresh local food all year round, engage in the Community Information Forum about Vancouver’s food security movement and meet the movers and shakers making it all happen.
Oct 4 | 2 – 5pm | Roundhouse

Moon Stoked

“Led by the giant moon the community lights their own lanterns and, accompanied by live music, walks the trail along the ravine as darkness falls. They come upon the outdoor river-stone labyrinth where they are invited to a walking meditation surrounded by music and candles. The parade continues past other lantern installations such as the Watershed lanterns and surprise performances until it reaches Renfrew Park where night has fallen and a world of magic has arisen”. Freakin’ stoked. Still a few lantern making workshops to participate in before the parade – find details here.
October 3rd | Moon Festival Harvest Fair, 4 – 7pm | Lantern Parade: 6:45 – 7:30pm

More Moon Stokedness

“During the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival farmers celebrate abundance and the end of the summer harvesting. Traditionally, on this day, Chinese family members and friends will gather to admire the bright mid-autumn harvest moon, and eat moon cakes together.” Sounds like a dang good tradition.
Oct 4 | 10am-4:30pm | Dr. Sun Yat Sen Chines Gardens | by Donation

Diwali

Diwali is heading our way. Get the Wiki on it here. Though the big event won’t hit for a few more weeks (check out the Vancouver Celebrates Diwali website for deets here), if you want to get involved early there are some workshops on the horizon that will get you in the Diwali frame of mind by explosing you to a number of cool South Asian customs such as…

Diya (lamp) Painting (When lit, these decorated candles and lamps express happiness and light over darkness). Mehndi (Henna) Application: Artists will demonstrate this traditional art form, from creation of designs to technique and application. Bhangra Dance and Dhol Drum: These popular interactive workshops introduce groups of all ages to traditional dance and drum forms, where all participants are led through a vigorous and fun dance routine. And Sari Wrapping: Learn the traditional methods of wrapping and wearing these colorful and traditional Indian garments. These interactive sessions are facilitated by experienced local artists, and involve the participation of pre-schoolers, elementary school students, families, seniors, and the general public.

Workshops take place at community centres and neighborhood houses across the city. Specific workshops include:
Thursday Oct 8 | West End Community Centre 4:30pm–6:30pm
Saturday Oct 10 | Renfrew Community Centre 5:00pm–7:00pm
Wednesday Oct 14 | Killarney Community Centre 1:00pm–3:00pm
Thursday Oct 15 | South Vancouver Neighborhood House 1:30pm–3:30pm
Friday Oct 16 Renfrew | Community Centre 10:00am–11:00am, 1:30pm–2:30pm
Friday Oct 16 | Sunset Community Centre 5:00pm–7:00pm

MUSIC

Clamour

Music on Main brings you Clamour, a night of kickass contemporary music buttressed by cocktails and the resulting combined good time. This week, get loose to DJ Michael Red, the Music on Main All-Star Band, and Marguerite Witvoet.
Oct 1 | 5 -7 pm (Get there by 5:30 PM and your first drink is free) | Grand Luxe Hall – Western Front (303 East 8th @ Scotia) | $10

C.R. Avery

Don’t miss your chance to see local harmonica playing beatbox/spoken word artist, musician, and total lady’s man C.R. Avery. He’s back in town and who knows for how long, so catch him while you can. Check out his (possibly the coolest ever) website for details. Oh, and listen.
October 3rd | 8:30 pm | Rio Theatre

Death Country?

Juno nominated acoustic rock trio from Toronto, Elliott Brood, returns to Vancouver and plays with The Wooden Sky and Sleepy Sun. A CBC write-up sums: “Death Country – dark, gritty folk soul music built around whiskey – drenched vocals and lyrics evoking images of love, loss and murder. In their soul-thumping bluegrass songs, banjo keeps time to a strange and chunky angular stomp, with vicious Kentucky-hardcore acoustic guitar and somber, achingly confessional vocal harmonies. The Toronto-based trio’s six-song debut EP Tin Type is housed in a hand-bound album wrapped in a brown paper bag. Order it now from weewerk if you’re a fan of The Handsome Family, Johnny Dowd or The FemBo.” It will likely sell out, so get on it.
Oct 7 | doors 8pm | Biltmore Cabaret | $16 – try Zulu

ART

Catch The Drift

Scott McFarland at VAG

Toronto based photographer Scott McFarland discusses his artistic practice. If you’re not familiar with his work – here’s a little snippit from the VAG that will give you a rough idea: “Drawing upon the histories of landscape painting and photography, McFarland’s images are digital composites, the product of several exposures of the same scene over a period of time that are stitched together into a seamless picture.” Really beautiful stuff.
Oct 3 | 2pm | VAG | FREE (with Gallery admission – $19.50)

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Michelle Sproule grew up in Kitsilano and attended Bond University in Australia and the University of Victoria before receiving her graduate degree in Library Sciences from The University of Toronto. She lives by the beach in Vancouver and enjoys wandering aimlessly through the city’s shops and streets with her best friend – a beat up, sticky, grimy, and uncooperative camera.

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