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 Thursday, May 22nd to Wednesday, May 28th, 2025. 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 here.

OPEN | Channelling the laid-back spirit of a Québec casse-croûte, Chez Céline opens on Fraser Street tomorrow (Friday, May 23rd)! Expect honest, no-nonsense food rooted in French-Canadian culture (think fennel salad, Croque Monsieur, steak and sauce aux poivres, poutine, and cavatelli with rabbit) with a sharp wine list and looker of a room designed to make you linger. The team behind it (alumni of award-winning St. Lawrence restaurant) keeps things focused: strong technique, good ingredients, and nothing extra on the plate unless it belongs there. Walk-ins are welcome; reservations can be made here. Chez Céline will be open Sundays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5-10pm; Fridays and Saturdays from 5-11pm. DETAILS

MARKET | This weekend, Strange Fellows Brewing is teaming up with OH Studio for a two-day outdoor market featuring a diverse line-up of cool-as-heck artists and makers. In addition to rad things made by local talents, expect live music and other good reasons to hang out, like beer floats, Bière Royale cocktails, and BBQ skewers. Saturday night will be full of that night market energy; while Sunday offers a slower roll through the stalls. DETAILS

ART | Vancouver-based artist and cartoonist, Marc Bell, has a new solo show opening at THIS Gallery on Friday – the final exhibition before THIS moves out of their Keefer Street location. If you’re not already familiar with Bell’s work, expect a near-sensory-overload of silly, kinda “rando”, and bizarre organized chaos. You know, the kind of stuff you can look at over and over again, and always pick up some new detail and/or piece of humour “winking” back at you… With Total Residuum, his world building includes ink and watercolour illustrations, and mixed media collage, with artworks scaling from 4” x 3” to 30” x 40” for you to zoom in and out of. Total Residuum runs from Friday, May 23rd until Saturday, June 7th, with an Opening Reception this Saturday afternoon (May 24th, from 12-4pm). DETAILS

FLING | Head to Luppolo Brewing Co. this weekend for a super cool, community-minded celebration featuring a double-whammy of beer collab releases, plus oysters and pizza, at the Strathcona brewery’s annual ‘Spring Fling’ party. For the drinks part of the equation, count on a delicious new “Mare” Oyster Pilsner made with Tessa G. (a local Contract Brewer, Brewery Consultant and good friend of Luppolo’s) and “I’ll Scratch Yours” BC Common brewed by Brassneck. Fun fact: both beers were made using all BC ingredients, including Fanny Bay Oysters – which will also be available shucked and ready to eat in their unaltered raw state on the Saturday only, along with a TBA special from in-house pizza operation, Local Pizzaiolo, all weekend-long. Also: Happy Hour from 12-2pm both days. Sounds like a blast! DETAILS

PLAY | This Sunday (May 25th, 7pm) is your chance to flex your talent at retaining random facts by heading to Bells & Whistles for a picnic(ish) themed quiz, hosted by Nice Guys Trivia. Think, picnicky topics like: food, weather, and insects; plus picnic-related films and celebrities. Because even though the weather might not be the most picnic- and patio-friendly yet, the season for squeezing in as much outdoors cooking and dining is coming up quickly [knock on wood]. Which means that now is the time to get your head in the game! “Think you know your picnic playlists and rom-coms under the sun?” If you answered, “Hell, yes!” then rustle up every fun-loving (and ideally beer-loving) nerd you know, and lock in your team’s table now. Free to play, and you just might walk away with some nifty prizes. DETAILS

SUPPORT | The Hānai team returns for a one-day pop-up at Dachi this Sunday, serving up fried ube mochi, spam musubi, and POG juice to raise funds for the Filipino community impacted by the recent tragedy at the Lapu Lapu Festival. All proceeds go to United Way BC’s Kapwa Strong Fund. It’s take-out only, and a rare chance to reconnect. DETAILS

GATHER | Strathcona’s Rise Up Marketplace is bringing the good energy this Sunday with a free, family-friendly sidewalk session featuring loads of good music and the always good vibes that the neighbourhood grocery is known for. Plus: Jamaican patties, freshly baked cookies, and cold drinks for purchase. Add to that some sweet patio seating, a park across the street, and an afternoon of music-fuelled connection — just what the weekend ordered. Fun and free. Events like this, bringing together music, food, and community all in one place, keep neighbourhood culture alive. You’ll leave with a smile. DETAILS

CULTURE | On Saturday, May 24th, the Vancouver Art Gallery throws its doors open late for Art Party, a one-night-only collision of art, music, and performance. Explore new exhibitions (Otani Workshop, Written in Clay, and a Douglas Coupland-curated 1:1 installation), join the LEGO Lounge, catch Theatre Replacement’s Town Choir, and move between floors soundtracked by DJs and live sculpture in progress. Expect the unexpected. DETAILS

SCORE | Roz from Smudge Ceramics in Nelson, BC has been hard at work creating a new batch of Antisocial Skateshop themed ceramics, and this weekend she’s bringing everything to the Main Street skater epicentre for a sale. If you also missed the window to get your hands on a mug or flower vase the last time Roz dropped a batch of these beauties off, consider this your tip off. Saturday morning is your best bet. These will fly out the door fast. DETAILS

FESTIVAL | If you’ve got a soft spot for agave spirits, don’t sit on your hands, because tickets for the 2025 Tequila & Agave Festival are moving fast! This year’s Grand Tasting goes down Saturday, May 24th at the Italian Cultural Centre (3075 Slocan Street), with doors open from 7-10pm (last call’s at 9:30pm). Expect a proper lineup of tequilas and mezcals, paired with good food, live Mariachi, DJ sets, and the kind of crowd that knows their way around a bottle. There’s also a dedicated Trade Tasting from 4-6pm for folks in the hospitality or liquor industry (same spot, same day). That one will be focused on curated pours, seeing pals, and the chance to actually talk shop with producers. Whether you’re in it for the culture, the craft, or just a good Saturday night, you really need to hit that purchase button before it isn’t an option anymore. DETAILS

PRAWNS! | The annual Spot Prawn Festival returns to False Creek Fisherman’s Wharf this Sunday, May 25th. Hosted by the Chefs’ Table Society of BC, this family-friendly event features two ticketed food experiences: go casual with a tasty portion of spot prawn bisque with a bun ($10); or go baller with the Spot Prawn Brunch ($79) – a stand-up, 19+ grazing event with six prawn dishes along side local wine and beer pairings, and dessert. Beyond the food, expect cooking demos, kids activities, educational displays, and (always a highlight) the chance to watch the boats roll in and buy live spot prawns straight off the dock. The window is short friends, take full advantage. DETAILS