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, November 13th to Wednesday, November 19th, 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.

CRAFT | Driving across town in the rain isn’t usually something I look forward to — but this weekend’s Nikkei Craft Fair is an exception. Returning to the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre in Burnaby, the fair brings together an incredible mix of ceramics, textiles, jewellery, and small-batch preserves, all made by local Japanese and Japanese-Canadian artisans. It’s the kind of market where every table tells a story, and the shopping feels as intentional as the craftsmanship. Definitely worth the drive. DETAILS

PASTA | La Mano’s Christopher Hyde and Aaron Ellard are back in the Dachi kitchen for one night only on Monday, November 17th. Known for their handmade pasta and refined, Italian-inspired cooking, the duo will be serving a five-course tasting menu that highlights their evolving approach to flavour, craft and comfort. Expect beautifully made pasta, thoughtful beverage pairings, and themed cocktails throughout the evening. Reservations recommended. DETAILS

SUGAR RUSH | Four of the country’s sharpest pastry minds are taking over Botanist for a single evening — and dessert’s running the whole show. On Tuesday, November 18th, Executive Pastry Chef Kate Siegel teams up with Kenta Takahashi (Boulevard), Oliver Bernardino (Wentworth Hospitality), and Lisa Yu (Monarque, Montreal) to serve a seven-course, dessert-forward tasting menu, complete with thoughtful pairings and all the finesse you’d expect from this crew. Bonus: guests leave with a take-home stash of sweets. DETAILS

LIGHT | Struggling with the early darkness of November? The Lumiere Festival is here to brighten things up. From November 13th to 16th, this annual celebration of light will fill the city with large and small-scale illuminated artworks, light-based projections, and live performances across seven downtown locations — including the West End, Downtown and Gastown. Although the highest concentration of installations will be Downtown, we’re particularly interested in seeing what is planned for Blood Alley — not least of all because this Gastown stop will pair nicely with a glass of wine and hot dog from the good folks at Breeze Bar. Things are already looking brighter! DETAILS

FRESH AIR | Yes, Vancouver is once again expecting rain over the weekend, but don’t let that prevent you from getting outside. Slip into your rain gear and visit a forest, wander a field, or sit on a log on the beach with a hot tea, and contemplate how great it is to live in a city skirted by a shore that lets you touch down with nature whenever you want. We suggest a few hours on the beach at Whytecliff Park in West Van. Line up a good playlist for the drive and take along a travel mug of something warm. DETAILS

TAROT | Love the idea of the Design Your Own Tarot Card workshop happening at Slice of Life on Monday: participants will learn about the symbolism of tarot, a 78-card system used for self-reflection, storytelling and exploring the subconscious through archetypal imagery. The evening begins with an introduction to the Major Arcana and the four suits, followed by a look at how different decks interpret these universal symbols. Then it’s your turn to draw, collage, and design your own guiding card — a personal piece that reflects your story and intuition. This sounds like the kind of workshop that will sell out in the blink of an eye, so don’t snooze. All skill levels welcome, and all supplies provided. DETAILS

CHANGE | The artistic community has always worked within limits — that’s often where new ideas start. When money is tight, or social and political pressures rise, artists don’t pull back; they get louder and reshape what’s possible. They adapt, rethink, and build spaces — real or imagined — where creativity can keep moving. Art becomes both a way to push back and proof of what’s possible, proving that culture can flex and evolve long before the rest of the world catches up. The world is shifting right now, and galleries are figuring out how to move with it. The 2025 Speaker Series: Collecting and Collections at the Gordon Smith Gallery explores this impulse for reinvention. Featuring Amy Kazymerchyk (Pale Fire Projects), Wil Aballe (WAAP), and Sarah Macaulay (Macaulay + Co. Fine Art), with Caitlin Jones moderating, the panel looks at how contemporary galleries are rethinking structure and purpose amid changing markets and cultural expectations. Expect a candid conversation about what comes next: artist-led initiatives, hybrid spaces, and the fragile balance between commerce and culture. It’s a reminder that when systems strain, artists are often the first to sketch the blueprint for how we move forward. DETAILS

MARKET | Craft Fair season hits its stride in November, with a different gathering of local artisans, craftspeople and artists setting up tables and booths to offer their handmade wares to Vancouverites every weekend…but markets aren’t just restricted to the weekends! Art Craft Marché is bringing a more cozy, after hours vibe into the equation with their setup inside La Fabrique St-George, every Thursday evening throughout the holiday season, beginning this week (November 13th). Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s pretty cool to be in a room full of creative people who spend their time making things – even better when there’s also a roaring fireplace and locally made wine available to purchase. DETAILS

WINTER VEGGIES | The Summer Farmers Market season is indeed over but it’s not like you have to push through the colder 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 crunchy apples, hearty kale and all manner of squash as well as fresh bread, honey, dried fruits and scores of other goodies. DETAILS.

HAPPY | Swiss filmmakers Philip Delaquis and Barbara Miller’s documentary, Wisdom of Happiness, shows a side of the Dalai Lama in an uncommonly personal conversation. “Tenzin Gyatso has been the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism since he was five years old. Now, at 90, he talks with characteristic humility and humour about his memories of his loving, empathetic mother and stern father, his unusual upbringing, forced exile from Tibet, and Buddhist philosophy in regards to politics, science, and the environment. The goal, he stresses, is to share practical wisdom on navigating the challenges of our time with peace of mind. At a time when so much discourse is toxic, the Dalai Lama’s emphasis on simplicity and compassion is a breath of fresh air.” The fact that VIFF Centre screenings are selling out in advance says something about how deeply we’re drawn to this story and message as humans navigating chaotic times. If you’re interested, book now. DETAILS