Skip to main content

Editor's Note: Globe B.C. has joined forces with Scout Magazine to give you the best of what's happening in Vancouver this weekend. For a full week's worth of listings, head over to the complete Scout List, updated each Monday. See the list in calendar view here (mobile users go here).

Art: The Yellow Crane Festival of Art and Design happens on Granville Island this weekend. It is (literally) a demonstration of the creative process in action as Emily Carr University students and alumni work on projects and pieces – everything from ceramics and book arts to paintings and mixed-media sculptures – in open studios, doing their thing while onlookers observe. Swing down to get a better feel for what is involved in the artistic process. Ask questions, get your hands dirty, take pictures, and buy what you like. Thursday, Aug. 1 – Sunday, Aug. 4, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Under The Yellow Crane between Emily Carr University and The Granville Island Hotel on Granville Island. yellowcranefestival.com

Community: The Powell Street Festival spreads across Oppenheimer Park this weekend. This annual celebration of Japanese Canadian arts, culture and heritage features everything you would expect at a fantastic community festival: dance, music, martial arts demos, craft vendors, traditional Japanese food and a sumo tournament. Now in its 37th year, it has grown from a small community event to a full-blown arts and culture festival that attracts thousands of visitors. Note: Parking will be very difficult. Hop on the bus. The No. 14 Hastings takes you right there. Saturday, Aug. 3 and Sunday, Aug. 4, 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m., Oppenheimer Park, (400 Powell St.), DTES, Free. powellstreetfestival.com

Jamcouver: Sunset Beach is the place to be on Saturday. Take provisions (sunscreen, bathing suit, food and water) because starting at 10 a.m., you can catch a show of 60 pro skateboarders negotiating a street course as they compete for a $10,000 prize. Even if you are not a skateboarder, sit and indulge in a fine display of grace, gnarl and skill. Also expect vendor booths, live music, giveaways and generally rad vibes. This is a family-friendly event. Linger into the evening and catch the Celebration of Light. Saturday, Aug. 3, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunset Beach, Free. jamcouver.com

Chill: Cates Park is a beautiful North Shore waterfront green space worth a visit in its own right, but if it (and its adjoining beach) were not enough to get you there, how about the fact that it has free public concerts on Saturdays? Take a picnic basket or load up at the on-site Wally Burger concession (think Chuckwagon burgers, yam fries and chocolate milkshakes). This week you can look forward to local bands Oh Village, Old Mare and Melissa Endean. Music begins in the late afternoon and continues until about 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, 4-7 p.m., Cates Park (4141 Dollarton Highway, North Vancouver), Free. musart.ca

Sea-To-Sky: Hooray for long weekends. Pack up and hit the Sea To Sky Highway. Start in West Vancouver at the Harmony Arts Festival for a cold lemonade and a wander through the craft market for pottery, jewellery, textiles, woodwork and glass designs all made by locals. Next up, Squamish Days and the awesome Loggers Sports Festival, with bed racing, chair carving, a pancake breakfast, axe throwing, tree topping and something called the campfire showdown. In Whistler, you will find the the Bull's-Eye Canadian National BBQ Championships: three days of BBQ-related activities, the highlight of which will be the Whole Lotta Ribs/Whole Lotta Led all-you-can-eat rib dinner and Led Zeppelin cover band at Dusty's Bar. Or try a long-table dinner outdoors at Whistler's beautiful Lost Lake with chef James Walt of Araxi.

HARMONY ARTS FESTIVAL | Aug. 2-11 | Ambleside, West Van | www.harmonyarts.ca

SQUAMISH DAYS | Aug. 1-5 | www.squamishdays.ca

BULL'S EYE BBQ, WHISTLER | Aug. 2-4 | www.whistlerblackcomb.com

ARAXI LONG TABLE, WHISTLER | Saturday, Aug. 3 | $175 | www.araxi.com

Interact with The Globe