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, July 17th, to Wednesday, July 23rd, 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.

THRIFT | Wardrobe feeling a bit ‘blah’? Summer fun spending biting into your shopping budget? Problem solved (at least partially), because this week is Front & Company’s famous annual Rummage Sale! From Thursday through Sunday, squeeze in as many stops at the Mount Pleasant secondhand boutique (located at Main and East 22nd) to rifle through clothing priced at deep discounts (up to 70% off), with sale items being replenished every day of the four-day-long event. And as if scoring a hot deal on a killer find isn’t thrilling enough: proceeds from the Rummage Sale’s sales are being donated to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and International Justice Mission. It all goes down in the back lot, from 11am until 5:30pm daily. DETAILS

BEER + B-BALL | Work up your thirst watching sportier folks sweating it out, dribbling, dunking, stealing, and swooshing to win big prizes at 33 Acres Brewing Co.‘s ‘3 on 3 Streetball Tournament’ this weekend. Beginning at Noon on Saturday, July 19th, eight teams of three players each will be hustling to score hoops in the alley behind the Mount Pleasant brewery, leading up to a post-game afterparty featuring music and beer (duh). Speaking of the latter: to mark the occasion, 33 Acres is dropping a brand new crushable sparkling lager. ’33XBoomtown’ is “spritzy, dry & aromatic pale lager, perfect for all outdoor occasions” – bottom line: the perfect summer park beer. DETAILS

COFFEE + KIDDOS | Strapped with the rugrats (yours or someone elses) on Saturday? Looking for a more kid-friendly afternoon situation in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood? You got it: The Beaumont Studios is hosting a convivial and completely kid-friendly cafe experience, including coffee pourovers (or milk tea) for the adults, a designated play area equipped with toys and books for the kiddos, and goodies for all! It all goes down from 2-4pm, courtesy of Claire and Christian, of Honeysuckle Collective, along with local entrepreneurs Sam & Sherlene (Just Add Milk Tea). Claire’s partner, Kiel, has the treat situation covered. By donation, no tickets or reservations required – just pop by. DETAILS

FOLK FEST | The 48th Annual Vancouver Folk Fest spreads across Jericho Park, beginning on Friday, July 18th, and lasting through the weekend. There’s something quintessentially Vancouver about this three-day local event… Even if you’re not into the folk genre, per se, a summer evening at Jericho with music flowing is just flat-out awesome. Pack a blanket and get ready to relax – outdoor folk music in the (historical) heart of Vancouver hippiedom is an experience you are honour bound to work into your summer plans. For a perusal of this year’s schedule and talent click HERE.  DETAILS

SKATE | Pavement should be dry all weekend – which means it’s time to skate! The Antisocial AV Club is throwing down a proper old-school skate sesh at China Creek, with a mini contest and prizes. Kick-off is at 7pm. Even if you aren’t planning to skate, watching from the sidelines will be worth showing up for. Then, it’s down the street to the Rio Theatre, for a 20th anniversary screening of Lords of Dogtown (doors at 9pm; movie rolls at 9:30pm). Written by Stacy Peralta, one of the original Z-Boys, this is the story of how empty swimming pools and a bunch of broke surf kids changed skateboarding forever. Heath Ledger, Emile Hirsch, backyard pools, concrete carnage — it’s all in there. DETAILS

COOL OFF | We hate to bring it up, but summer won’t stick around forever. Now is the time to eat dinner outside, drink beers on patios and picnic on the beach – do it all! Winter will be less gloomy if you can look back on a summer well spent. Have you logged any hours at Second Beach pool yet? If not, maybe this is the weekend you check that one off the season’s to-do list. Pool info here.

GATHER | Chef Katy Cheung (Sous Chef at Burdock & Co) takes over the kitchen at Dachi on Monday night, with a bold and summery Cantonese-inspired menu (think whole crab, cold salads, and hands-on eating built around local, seasonal ingredients). Cheung is an absolute force in the kitchen, and while we love the polished experience of her food at Burdock, it’s equally satisfying to see her cut loose. She’ll be bringing all that same Michelin-calibre precision to more casual fare, with the playful, vibrant energy that defines her. Bonus: Cantonese-inspired cocktails, plus plenty of wine and sake – and the always fun Dachi patio vibe. Walk-ins only. DETAILS

FARM | Chef Lina Caschetto (Say Hey Café & Deli) and This Is Wine School return with ‘Act 2’ of their Dress Rehearsal pop-up series on Saturday. This time around, the theme is ‘Le Maraîcher’ — a nod to the market gardener and a celebration of summer vegetables. Expect peak-season produce from farms like Glorious Organics and Vive le Veg, paired with soulful cooking and wines. It’s not strictly vegetarian, but the greens will lead the way. What better time of year to embrace them? DETAILS

SHUCK | It’s time to get shucking! Or, even better: have the Bravo team do it for you by swinging by the Fraserhood restaurant every Tuesday through Sunday, for their new Happy Hour (4-5:30pm). Although the days of “buck-a-shuck” are sadly gone, half-a-dozen oysters will set you back only $15. Wash ‘em down with a beer, cocktail or glass of wine on special. (Extra cool: Their coastal wine list features producers from no more than 100km from the ocean.) We love a good Happy Hour and slow summer evenings that start with oysters are a pretty great use of time – get into it! DETAILS

SKY | The Celebration of Light begins this week, and this year, it’s all about Canada. Saturday sees a display of pyrotechnic amazingness put on by Team Midnight Sun from The Yukon; then, Royal Pyrotechnie from Quebec gets in on the action next Wednesday (July 23rd); and Nova Scotia finishes the 2025 celebration next Saturday night (July 26th). There are many Vancouver beaches, hills, parks and bridges that will provide free and spectacular views of the fireworks. Best to travel by foot, bike or public transit – forget the car. And for goodness sake, keep in mind that traffic will be a nightmare, so don’t plan to cut through down town to get anywhere.  DETAILS

COLLAB | Mmmm…perogies! Everyone knows (and loves) the stuff – little Ukrainian dough pockets most commonly filled with potato and cheese; what’s not to love!? But that’s not Modern Perogie. Although inspired by a traditional family dough recipe, these local dumpling aficionados make product in a category all their own. And next Wednesday, July 23rd, they’re stepping things up a notch with a special four-course and drink-paired collab dinner ($99) at Belgard Kitchen. Think: ricotta-and-local-vegetable-packed ‘Garden Party’ perogies dressed in preserved lemon vinaigrette; a grilled octopus version with avocado emulsion and smoked potato foam; a savoury ‘Sunday Supper’ inspired flavour featuring bread pudding, Brussels sprouts and bacon (with gravy, of course); and even dessert perogies! Each course is served with a (surprise!) beer, wine or cocktail. If you think that food should be fun, then this ‘Perogie Party’ collab dinner has your name on it. Get your tickets HERE.