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, June 5th to Wednesday, June 11th, 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.

WANDER | Italian Day takes over The Drive this Sunday. Commercial Drive will be closed to traffic from Venables to Grandview to allow pedestrians to bounce safely between barbecue stations, gelato booths, patios and live music performances, and that always makes for good times. Add to all of that more than a few options for a good cup of coffee and the occasional impromptu bocce game, and you have a solidly inspired Sunday. Remember to leave the car at home: Italian Day is expected to attract more than 300,000 visitors and driving thereabouts will be impossible. DETAILS.

DONUTS | If donuts were a day of the week, it would be Sunday: They’re easy but indulgent and, along with a cup of strong coffee, provide an efficient caffeine-and-sugar kick in the butt on a lazy weekend morning. And this Sunday, the folks at Their There – cult brunch spot and go-to for good coffee in Kits, as well as purveyors of the city’s inimitable mochi donuts – are throwing down a special one-day-only collab with Lee’s that’s bound to raise the bar for deep-fried dough in Vancouver. That being said, this is likely to draw a crowd. And if for some reason damn good limited-time-only donuts aren’t an inspiring enough reason to roll out of bed early and queue up for, then here’s some extra motivation: 100% of sales will be donated to those affected by the events of the Lapu Lapu Day festival. DETAILS

RACE | The Jericho Catamaran Classic Regatta takes place this weekend. Even if you have zero interest in sailing, it’s still worth showing up for the view. Sleek boats slicing across water, a salty breeze — it’s basically live-action wallpaper for your beach blanket afternoon. Added bonus: post up at the Jericho Sailing Centre with a burger and beer, and watch from there. No need to understand the rules. Just look vaguely impressed and enjoy yourself. DETAILS 

BRUNCH! | Kitsilano’s Folke Restaurant launches brunch service this weekend, offering a plant-based excuse to sleep in and still get rewarded with hot maple syrup and an armful of baked goods. From there on out, the community-driven restaurant will be serving up a seasonal, share-plate menu every Saturday and Sunday, from 10am–2pm. Highlights include sourdough waffles with fried oyster mushrooms, a vegan baked strata with chickpea-tofu custard and pumpkin seed parmesan, and rhubarb Dutch baby with whipped cream and granola (damn!). Then there’s the cake table. Yes, cake table. Fill a plate with pastries for $18, or grab a box to take home for $20. Walk-ins welcome. DETAILS

APERO | The Summer Solstice is creeping up, and there’s no better way to transition into full-on summer mode than by eking out the after-work, pre-dinner hours, sipping on a glass (or two) of wine and nibbling on some tasty snacks. Perfect timing: This week (June 10th, 11th, and 12th) Maude Renaud-Brisson (This is Wine School) is bringing back Apéro mode. (If you’ve never been before, it’s basically an “after school snack” set-up for adults, tapping into the Quebecois spirit of “Cinq à sept”.) This time around, she’ll be posting up and popping bottles at the Bentall Centre Breezeway (close to the Burrard Skytrain Station), with Chef Lina Caschetto (Say Hey Cafe & Deli) taking care of the snacks. No reservations or tickets required. Just show up ready to wind the f*ck down. Easy as that! DETAILS

ESCAPE | This is a perfect time of year for a drive in the country. If you don’t want to invest in a whole weekend away but still need the restorative break of leaving the city, consider heading towards Ladner/Delta for a day trip on Westham Island. There’s something immediately relaxing about the sound of wooden slats under your tires (be they car or bike) as you cross the Westham Island Bridge. On the other side awaits quiet roads flanked by long grass, plus roadside egg and vegetable stands. Even better: Cropthorne Farm opens for visitors starting this weekend! Cropthorne is a great place for fresh, organic vegetables and (if you get there before they are all sold out) stunning bouquets of seasonal flowers. Fit in a walk at Reifel Bird Sanctuary, and you’ll 100% feel like you’ve escaped on a country vacation – because you have!

COOL OFF | Pack a bag with towels, sunscreen, drinks and snacks and make for the hills! Not only does Lynn Canyon Park offer lovely and partially shaded trails, but it also has some beautiful swimming holes. Check out the 30 Foot Pool (a short walk from the suspension bridge), or find your way to Homestead Trail where there are several river access points. DETAILS

SWIM |  Hitting the closest outdoor public swimming pool is looking like a refreshing weekend activity. Sadly, Kits pool sustained a spot of damage during those nasty winter storms, and repairs are taking a little longer than expected; but it should be opening some time this month. In the meantime, both Second Beach and New Brighton are ready and waiting. Information on swimming schedules, ticket sales and admission fees can be found here.

WATCH | If sunshine isn’t your thing, consider slipping into a dark theatre for a Saturday matinee, and catch a screening of The Wedding Banquet. From VIFF: “Co-written by James Schamus, this pleasing and lively update on Ang Lee’s 1993 closet comedy transplants the story to contemporary Seattle and the Korean-American community (actually it was shot in Vancouver, but don’t tell Trump). Of course attitudes have changed in the intervening 30 years, so this is anything but a straight (haha) remake.” Bowen Yang and Han Gi-chan lead as a gay couple navigating immigration, family pressure, and a faux marriage plot thick with emotional and comedic stakes. Looks like a fun film full of laughs. DETAILS

FARMERS | The delicious tipping point between Spring and Summer is fast approaching. But before that happens, we suggest you take full advantage of late spring vegetables by getting yourself to a Farmer’s Market this week – now in full swing in various neighbourhoods around Vancouver! Take along your very best reusable carry bags to fill to the brim with leeks, garlic scapes, zucchini blossoms, baby carrots, armfuls of lettuce, and baskets of strawberries. DETAILS