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, September 11th to Wednesday, September 17th 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.

ART | If you haven’t already paid a visit to Slice of Life Gallery to check out General Electric: Digital Portraits of Soft Electronics, the new exhibit from Morgan Noll – and you too dig “the design sensibilities of the 60s + 70s and want to stare lovingly into the shiny plastic of kitchen appliances” – then consider the pressure ON. Sunday will be too late. Add a social element to your viewing by swinging by on Saturday, September 13th for the afternoon social, from 3-8pm. There will also be drinks, pinball, karaoke, plenty of art-lovers and -makers, and a new blue-themed collective art show to check out while you’re there. Also: read our new interview with Noll here. DETAILS

HELP | The Renfrew Ravine Moon Festival is a month-long community celebration of art, nature, and cultural traditions, marked by lanterns, performances, and gatherings under the autumn sky. The main event happens on Saturday, October 4th, but it doesn’t come together on its own — it’s built by hand. With that in mind, on Friday, September 12th (as in, tomorrow), you’re invited to Slocan Community Hall to work alongside local artists Carmen Rosen (also the festival’s Artistic Director) and Madeline Cheung to help repair used lanterns and craft new decorations. No special experience is needed — just a bit of curiosity, neighbourly spirit, and a willingness to get glue on your fingers. Family friendly. DETAILS

SWAP | For one night only, Dachi is opening its doors on a Monday to team up with their West Side friends at Gary’s. Chefs Mat Bishop and Jiwon Seo are putting together a collaborative menu built around seasonal produce and a few iconic dishes from both kitchens. But what makes this swap especially worth showing up for: both crews bring the same warmth and knack for a good time without being the least bit pretentious. Drinks are a joint effort too – so come thirsty. Walk-ins only, starting at 5pm. DETAILS

ART | Neo Noir returns with a Western twist, this Saturday. The one-night-only show packs paintings, photography, film, and live tattooing into the 1885 Franklin St. space, alongside music from haunted rockers Peter Press Lee, and DJ sets from Mr Pablo and DJ Momantics. Sixteen artists — including Pablo Zamudio, Andy Jingco, Ben Tour, and Jean-Paul Langlois — take aim at the grit and rebellion of Western Noir. DETAILS

CAR FREE | There’s something oddly satisfying about taking over the street with your feet. Main Street’s Car Free Day returns this Sunday, swapping traffic for live music, juggling, skateboard demos, loads of food and cold drinks, plus the occasional bit of spontaneous street hockey, and room for dancing, sitting, and general hanging out. The real pleasure, though, is drifting along in a sea of happy pedestrians, where the only thing moving faster than you is the conversation. Behind the fun is the Car Free Vancouver Society, a non-profit pushing for less congestion, more community space, and a city that moves on people power. All things we like. Looking for a place to float to? We suggest you head to Main and 23rd where Hero’s Welcome is hosting a block party, featuring a beer garden, pizza, and an icy lineup of live music — think jazz, line dancing, and bands leading up to a performance by WAIT//LESS, closing it all out at 6pm.

SCORE | Looking for a fall refresh to your wardrobe or home? This weekend’s Grand Bazaar at VanDusen Gardens might be just the ticket. With more than 40 vendors showing off their sharp eye for unique details, one-of-a-kind pieces, and vintage style worth digging through, you can expect everything from antique housewares to clothing, accessories, and collectibles (grab a sneak peek here). Proceeds support SMOC (Society for the Museum of Original Costume), a Vancouver non-profit preserving and showcasing historic fashion and textiles. Eager to get ahead of the crowds? Get first dibs by shelling out $15 for Early Bird entry at 9am; otherwise, $10 General Admission tickets (10am–3pm) are also available for those who value an extra hour or two of sleep on a Saturday morning. DETAILS

SHINE | When people spill out onto Vernon Drive, it usually means something good’s happening at Rise Up Marketplace — and this Saturday it’s the annual Kiwassa Days Block Party. Expect food, music, games, and the kind of neighbourly energy that reminds you community isn’t just a buzzword – it’s the whole point. Roll up to soak up some sunshine in human form, basically. DETAILS

SPLASH | The annual Splash Art Auction has a habit of turning up some seriously good art, and the preview exhibition is your chance to see it all before the bidding begins. Over 100 Canadian artists are being represented, with works on view (and open for early bids) at Pendulum Gallery leading up to the big event. This is free to wander, easy to browse, and always worth a look. Works will be auctioned on Saturday, October 4th at Fairmont Hotel. DETAILS

GIG | The Psychedelic Furs are back in Vancouver, bringing their UK post-punk catalogue to the Vogue on Friday night. Expect the classics — “Love My Way”, “Pretty in Pink”, and more — wrapped in a haze of nostalgia that still manages to feel sharp. Don your best oversized blazer and a splash of hair gel, and lean into a night that proves some ’80s relics age remarkably well. DETAILS

LISTEN | Next Tuesday evening the Central Library is hosting authors Cheuk Kwan (Have you Eaten Yet?) and Linda Lau Anusasananan (The Hakka Cookbook: Chinese Soul Food from around the World) for a chat about food and the immigrant experience. In their respective books, each author asked members of the Chinese diaspora why they moved from their homeland, and what they like to eat and cook. Curious for a first-hand rundown of what they found out? Sit in on the conversation to get some answers, as well as valuable insight into Chinese diasporic food culture. Free to attend but advance registration is required. Do that HERE. This event is organized in-part with Nooroongji Books, who will be at the event to hook you up with books from Kwan and Lau Anusasananan for your post-talk reading pleasure. DETAILS

BLOOM | Buying yourself a couple of hours in the fields at UBC Farm is as good an investment as any autumn splurge. Next Wednesday evening, their Flower Harvest and Bouquet Making workshop ($65) fits the bill. Participants will head into the Farm’s flower rows to learn how blooms are grown as part of its biodiversity work, try their hand at harvesting, and then move on to the basics of floral design. You’ll leave with a hand-made bouquet, (potentially) muddy shoes, and (definitely) the sense that your time and money were well spent. DETAILS

NOURISH| These are the last of Summer! Hustle your way to a Farmers Market this week to make the most of it. Don’t forget to take along your very best reusable carry bags to fill to the brim with last-of-the-season corn, plums, zucchini and tomatoes, plus armfuls of lettuce, and score yourself the first of the season’s apples, pears and bitters. So much is happening right now! DETAILS / DETAILS