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.
Get up: Friday is Creative Mornings, the monthly gathering for creative types at SFU Woodwards. Each event includes a 20-minute lecture, followed by a 20-minute group discussion. It begins at 8:30 a.m. and ends with everyone splitting for their respective offices at 10 a.m. This month, CM adopts the topic: "Make." Local paper artist, photographer, thinker and all-around creator Rachael Ashe will be taking the stage to talk. She has been part of Mini Maker Faire and the indie craft fair Got Craft? She participates in the Eastside Culture Crawl and also curates Hot Talks, a speaker series at Hot Art Wet City gallery up on Main Street, so we're betting she'll have some interesting things to share. Tickets are free but they go fast.
Friday, Dec. 6, 8:30-10 a.m., Goldcorp Centre for the Arts (149 W Hastings), creativemornings.com
Toque: Not all craft fairs are created equal. Right near the very top of the mountain of holiday craft fairs is Toque at the Western Front. The curation standards are high; everything is amazing. Expect to find work by fine Vancouver artists and designers such as superstar handbag designer Erin Templeton, the sublimely gifted potter Gailan Ngan, always ahead-of-the-curve Henderson Dry Goods and truly beautiful books from booksellers Simply Read. Have a peek at the Toque tumblr (toque2013.tumblr.com) for a full list of exhibitors and images of some of their exceptional wares.
Friday, Dec. 6, 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Western Front (303 E. 8th), front.bc.ca
York Theatre: The York Theatre opens this weekend. The 100-year-old icon on Commercial Drive was recently saved from demolition to be restored as a community rental venue operated by The Eastside Cultural Centre (The Cultch). Be there on opening night and be among the first to take a behind-the-scenes tour, catch a performance (An East Van Panto is premiering, written by local funny dude Charles Demers with music by Veda Hille). Stick around afterwards for an on-stage post-performance party. We see more cultural institutions close than open, so this event is definitely worthy of celebration.
Friday, Dec. 6, 7 p.m., The York Theatre (639 Commercial Dr.), thecultch.com
Cheer: The Carol Ships have been dusted off, decorated and outfitted with teams of cheerful people. Their beautiful voices will be making their seasonal debut on the waters of the Vancouver inner harbour this Friday night. Ships will be at Canada Place at 7:30 p.m. for the annual lighting of the sails, after which they will head out for a tour. Boats will pass by the South Shore between 7:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. and visiting the North Shore between 8:30 p.m. and 9:20 p.m. Expect them to pass under the Lions Gate Bridge at 9:30 p.m. and move on to English Bay to finish at 10 p.m. So throw on some gloves and a scarf and take a winter walk on the seawall on Friday night.
Friday, Dec. 6, 7:30-10 p.m., Vancouver Inner Harbour, carolships.org
Party: Chinatown's Blim has been making Vancouver a little more interesting through workshops, art shows and craft markets for 10 years. That's a big deal – and something to celebrate, so hustle over to Main Street's media arts access centre, VIVO, to get in on a party planned to mark the auspicious occasion of Blim's 10-year anniversary. There will be a slough of special guests (DJs, musicians, performers) to make the evening exciting and "Blimmy," not to mention a crowd of generally cool human beings giving support and props to founder Yuriko Iga. An evening of good vibes punctuated by neon coloured tights and animal print t-shirts!
Saturday, Dec. 7, 9 p.m., VIVO (1965 Main St.), $ By donation, blim.ca
Michelle Sproule