The architecture of Daniel Evan White.
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.
Got craft: With handmade and DIY culture so strong these days, discerning Vancouverites have fewer and fewer reasons to use a big-box store for holiday shopping. The good folks at Got Craft recognize this and work hard to bring some of the finest artisans, designers and makers in the city to one location to deliver the best in local and handmade quality. Swing by the Maritime Labour Centre this weekend (Saturday and Sunday) to check out what people living, designing and producing in your community have to offer. Bonus: Not only will more than 75 vendors be selling everything from cupcakes and t-shirts to jewellery and stationary, but – if you act fast – you can also sign up for a beginners' hand-lettering workshop ($48) and leave with great holiday gifts and a new skill.
Saturday, Dec. 14, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 15, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Maritime Labour Centre (1880 Triumph St.), gotcraft.com
Cheer: If you're looking for a way to get into the holiday spirit, consider hitting Christ Church Cathedral for an evening of music performed by the Coastal Sound Youth Choir. Sure, you'll hear traditional carols that would make Bing Crosby proud, but this choir will also throw in some old school rock and indie tracks. Plus, Christ Church Cathedral is a stunning venue.
Sunday, Dec. 15, 7:30, Christ Church Cathedral (690 Burrard St.), $20 / kids $10, coastalsoundmusic.com
Design: The Museum of Vancouver is showing Play House: The Architecture of Daniel Evan White, and has asked some grown-ups whom they know to be good with Lego (the Vancouver Brick Games, the Vancouver Lego Club and Lego enthusiast Johnathon Vaughn Strebly) to hang around the museum on Saturday and help you play with Lego in a way that compliments the architectural theme of the show. Take a wander through the Daniel Evan White exhibit for inspiration and then build your own Modernist masterpiece. Check the Museum of Vancouver website to find out more about Lego workshops available.
Saturday, Dec. 14, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Museum of Vancouver (1100 Chestnut St.). museumofvancouver.ca
Posada Navidena: The Museum of Anthropology is showing The Marvellous Real: Art from Mexico, 1926-2011. The show boasts more than 50 pieces of abstract and surreal art – painting, sculpture and mixed media, as well as photography, video and more. In keeping with the Mexican theme, the museum is holding a Posada Navidena procession this weekend. From The MOA: "The word posada means shelter or lodging, and refers to the place Jesus Christ was born. With roots in Spain and Catholicism, the posada has been practised in Mexico since the 16th century. To this day, people in Mexico and Central America mark the nine days before Christmas by holding a posada each night. The Posada Navidena at MOA will feature a procession with musicians singing the letania and culminate in the breaking of a traditional pinata in MOA's Great Hall." Free with museum admission.
Saturday, Dec. 14, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Museum of Anthropology (6393 NW Marine Dr., UBC), $16.75, moa.ubc.ca
Explore: There are two great reasons to make your way to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Chinatown this weekend: lantern-making and tea. Winter Solstice is approaching (Dec. 21), and the gardens will once again be the end point for a community solstice parade. Be prepared for the mid-winter procession by using Saturday afternoon to construct your own lantern to carry next week. And then Sunday is tea day at the gardens. Wander the paths and take in the calm (it's beautiful in any weather) and then warm up with afternoon tea. Experts will explain the different types of tea and provide interesting information about the historical and cultural traditions of tea drinking. You can even paint a pair of porcelain teacups for your own home ($5).
Lanterns: Saturday, Dec. 14, 2-4 p.m., Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden (578 Carrall St.), $15, vancouverchinesegarden.com
Tea: Sunday, Dec. 15, 1-4 p.m., Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden (578 Carrall St), $12, vancouverchinesegarden.com