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, October 30th to Wednesday, November 5th, 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.

DARKNESS | The clocks roll back at 2am on Sunday, November 2nd. Prepare yourself. When twilight hits and you’re convinced it must be dinner time, only to find it’s 4:47pm and pitch black already — yeah, that’s the new normal. Sorry in advance. More bummer info here. BUT, if you feel like taking a positive view on the situation, we have a few bright suggestions to combat the darkness below (and here).

LIGHT | Craft a mullhein torch (aka a “hag torch” or “witch’s torch”) while learning about Samhain — the turn toward winter, the thinning of the veil, and the traditions that honour ancestors and release the old. Hosted by at Raven’s Veil collective and boutique and led by herbalist, medicine maker, ritualist and hermetic practitioner Lux, this two-hour-long evening of Samhain Mullien Torch Marking ($90) is part workshop and part ritual. Refreshments and supplies included, along with your own hand-crafted torch, spells, and herbal offerings to take home. DETAILS

WINTER | Timed with World Vegan Day, Mæst Food closes out its 2025 Secret Dinner series with Shōsetsu, a six-course, plant-based tasting experience inspired by the Japanese sekki calendar. This final gathering, held on Saturday, November 1st marks the transition toward winter — a quiet celebration of detail, seasonality and creativity. The menu draws on Japanese technique, Nordic presentation, and Pacific Northwest ingredients, featuring local farm produce and foraged elements. Expect dishes like daikon mochi with berry XO, Hakurei turnip and pine mushroom pavé, and a Japanese pear tart with cherry blossom miso caramel — all designed to express warmth and restraint as the season shifts. The 7pm seating is already sold out, but seats are still available for the 5pm one. Dinner will run you $110 (tax & gratuity included), and the exact location (somewhere in the South Granville area) will be revealed upon booking. DETAILS

DÍA DE MUERTOS | On Sunday, November 2nd, La Mezcaleria invites guests to honour Día de Muertos with a five-course dinner (for only $50!) shaped around remembrance, gathering, and the act of sharing a meal. The evening will unfold in a room filled with marigold garlands, altars, and music. Chef Kevin Orozco Sánchez has built this year’s menu in tribute to his grandmother, who taught him that feeding people is an act of love. Expect a warm, unhurried meal that balances story, flavour, and emotion, with optional tequila pairings and very nice cocktails crafted by bartender Iván Rodríguez. Reservations strongly recommended. DETAILS

PARADE OF LOST SOULS | Every year, a shadowy procession of characters takes over East Van for the Parade of Lost Souls — a community-driven, Dusty Flowerpot-fuelled celebration inspired by Día de Muertos. Participants are encouraged to don costumes, honour lost loved ones, and embrace life through pop-up performances, live music, dance parties and art installations scattered along the route. This year’s parade happens on Saturday, November 1st, followed by after-parties at both the Biltmore Cabaret and Strange Fellows Brewing. DETAILS

HAUNT | Speaking of Strange Fellows: the infamous “Dead Fellows Brewhouse” has returned—bigger, darker, and far more haunted than before. I love how enthusiastic and imaginative these guys are about everything they do, and Halloween is no exception. Expect new rooms, fresh scares, and a few unholy surprises in this year’s fully reimagined haunted brewhouse. Tickets are ~$35, with free entry for young souls 14 and under (two per adult). Gather your bravest friends and scoop a ticket before it’s too late! DETAILS

STITCH | Give your old clothes another round this season by attending Slice of Life’s hands-on mending workshop. Led by local textile artists, this session turns repair into ritual — teaching simple embroidery techniques, creative patching, and ways to extend the life of your favourite pieces. Bring a few worn items (jeans, shirts, cottons, linens) and spend the evening learning, chatting, and fixing together with fellow DIY-ers. DETAILS

PHOTOGRAPHY | It’s the last weekend to see Tradeswomen at Gallery 881 — a striking collaboration between Vancouver’s Carly Steiman and Millissa Martin that captures the strength and skill of women shaping the spaces we live in. Through portraiture and documentary photography, the exhibition turns hands, tools and faces into symbols of persistence and pride. Steiman, a Red Seal Electrician with nearly two decades in the trades, joins Martin, whose photography centres on human connection, to document women whose craftwork has long been overlooked. The result feels both intimate and monumental — a quiet reclamation of labour, identity, and artistry. So into it. Catch the show until EOD Saturday, November 1st. DETAILS

FORAGE | Join Chef and foraging guide Robin Kort for a morning walk through the woods, learning how to safely identify edible wild mushrooms in BC forests. This beginner-friendly stroll covers easy-to-spot species, and includes tips on cooking and preserving wild mushrooms once you know what’s what. Keep in mind that this is a ‘no harvesting’ walk — learning only. Tickets ($60) are still available.  DETAILS

EXPLORE | Even if you aren’t out looking for mushrooms, Fall is lovely for exploring the woods! Pull on some gear and get hiking. We suggest a few hours on the trails out at Pacific Spirit Park or a trip our to Iona Beach for salt air and big sky. Saturday and Sunday are both expected to include rain – but that’s what your rubber boots and rain slicker are for!

WINTER VEGGIES | Don’t panic, Summer Farmers Market season is indeed over but it’s not like you have to push through the next seven months without a weekly visit with local farmers and their tasty food! The bravest of local producers gather their goods at Winter Farmers Markets to keep us well fed through the colder months. There are two Winter Markets to choose from: Riley Park on Saturday or the Kitsilano on Sunday. Grab your reusable shopping bags, and load up on all your fruits and veggie needs as well as fresh bread, honey, dried fruits and scores of other goodies. DETAILS.