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 April 10 to April 16, 2019. 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

CITY | There are two ‘Granville Bridge Connector’ open house sessions this week. Visit City Lab on Friday, April 12 (11 am–7pm) or Saturday, April 13 (11am–4pm) to connect with City of Vancouver representatives and tell them a little about how you currently use the bridge or how you’d like to use it in the future. The best way to create the kind of city you want to live in is to show up and participate. This is your chance! Find out more.

BLOSSOMS |  Sakura Days Japan Fair is happening at VanDusen this weekend. Expect loads of live entertainment, arts and crafts tables, haiku readings, flower arranging, origami making, tea drinking and tasty Japanese foods, not to mention huge crowds of cherry blossom-gazing buddies for you to hang with. Avoid the line-ups and save money by buying early bird tickets online (until Friday). Find out more.

SPRING | It’s time to take your love of pink petals to the next level by consuming them. Don’t just start scooping them off the sidewalk, though. There are some fantastic Japanese restaurants around town that celebrate the season with special menu items.  Chef Nakano at Market by Jean-Georges has created a Sakura Tasting Menu that looks beautiful (and very reasonably priced). Miku, Minami and Gyoza Bar also have some blossom-inspired offerings (think Atlantic lobster tail with sakura herb salsa and sakura lobster rolls). At Japantown’s Dosanko you can get a lovely hit of pink petals in the sakura onigiri (loaded with chunks of lobster, pickled beets, pickled local cherry blossoms). We think you’ll enjoy it even more when paired with Dosanko’s outstanding sakura rose daiquiri. The sakura menu at Yuwa Japanese looks stunning too (peek here)…just looking at the picture of the Spring Cheerful Roll will make you smile. Start making the rounds — like the fleeting cherry blossom, these menus will not last forever!

VINYL | Record Store Day happens Saturday, and independently run record stores across the city are fixing to help us celebrate. Expect exclusive record releases, ticket giveaways, live music, sales and the coming together of people who love music. If you can only make it to one store, we suggest Red Cat Records (they have live sets planned for both locations, so either shop will do nicely, though we’re aiming for Main Street at 6pm because Autogramm!). Also visit Neptoon and Dandelion on Main, Zulu Records on 4th, plus Noize, Beat Street, and Highlife for all sorts of record-related fun. Find out more.

BAKING | The lovely folks from Flourist are popping-up at Di Beppe this weekend. Wander your way down to Gastown to pick up a loaf (or two) of their famous bread…and while you’re at it, stock up on flour, whole grains and maybe even some cookies, brownies, or other treats. Pro tip: take along an empty jar (Flourist gives away free sourdough starter with purchase!) Find out more about this weekend’s pop-up here and get up to speed with this Scout feature on the upcoming brick & mortar spot here.

SHOP | Hustle down to The Pie Shoppe this weekend for the Cardamom Pop-Up Shop, a two-day event that brings together some really great items produced by talented artisans from here and across the country. Pick up one-of-a-kind ceramics, bright and beautiful textiles, jewellery, bags, wallets, soaps and vases. Chocolate pecan pie, good coffee, nice people and cool creativity? Yes, please! Find out more.

GIG | British group Ten Fé are in town to play The Biltmore Sunday night. I hadn’t heard of them until last month, but after reading an article in The Guardian (here) I went on a bit of a binge. Perfect road trip cruising music! It’s mellow, intelligent, easy but not fluffy. Just good. They’ve only just released their second album, Future Perfect, Present Tense, but you can tell they’re going places! Grab a ticket and chill out in a comfy velvet booth with a beer for a listen. Find out more.

PEROGIES | The annual Spring perogy lunch at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Strathcona goes down this weekend. In addition to the shining linoleum-floored basement filled with communal lunch tables ready for home-made borscht, perogies and kielbasa, there are usually tables of homemade baked goods and a bazaar to pick through upstairs. Always a Scout favourite. See you there! Find out more.

RUN | It’s Sun Run time. If you’re taking part – good for you! If you’re heading out to cheer on friends and family participating in the run – we applaud you too, as you have an important role to play! Everyone else: the run starts at 9am Sunday and will involve tens of thousands of people, so think twice before you agree to DRIVE to meet your pals for a casual Sunday morning coffee pretty much anywhere downtown (and a few bits of Kits or anywhere that you would need to use the Cambie Street Bridge to get to). For race details, check out the official website here.

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 2019 also offers a series of tours, talks and workshops. With so many shows and events to factor into your week, we suggest you devise a personalized plan. You can customize your Festival itinerary by clicking “My Itinerary” on the lower left side of the screen on the Capture website here. But if you want our advice, don’t miss Alana Paterson at the Polygon Gallery (her show Skwxwú7mesh Nation Basketball opens with a reception Saturday, April 13, 1pm); Collage in the City (artists Barbara Strigel and Mark Mizgala address human place and human impact on the urban landscape) at The Listel Hotel (Thu, Apr. 11, 6pm); and the Disappearances Artist Salon with David Ellingsen and Yasmeen Strang at Parker Street Studios (Sat, Apr. 13 2-4pm). Find out more.