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 week.
MUSIC | The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden kicks off it's Enchanted Evenings summer concert series this week, and this year there's a twist to things. The soothing draw of the serene swaying bamboo and lily pad-strewn ponds remains, but for the 2014 season the concert series shakes things up with reservable seats, gourmet picnic dinners (order in advance for $10-$29), plus wine and beer. The first concert of the summer is Chinese-Western musical fusion ensemble Silk Road Music. If you can't make the inaugural concert, don't panic as there will be a total of five Enchanted Evenings and each will have a unique feel and tempo. Silk Road (Friday,July 11); Tomoe Arts (Thursday, July 17); Jim Byrnes (Thursday, July 24); Vancouver Piano Ensemble (Thursday, July 31); and Deanna Knight and the Hot Club of Mars (Thursday, August 7).
Friday, July 11 | Doors 7pm | 578 Carrall St. | Concert $25, Picnic / Wine extra | www.vancouverchinesegarden.com
BASEBALL | The Vancouver Canadians are in town all week playing games at Nat Bailey Stadium. Nothing says summer like a bag of peanuts, a cold beer and a baseball game on a home field. Canadians play Everett Friday through Sunday and then take on Eugene Monday through Friday of next week. Thats a game every day (most games begin at 7pm) and sunshine on the weather forecast.
July 11 – 18 | Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium (4601 Ontario St.) | $12.50 | www.milb.com
KHATSAHLANO | Things are always pretty awesome along West 4th, but that Khatsahlano Street Party really takes the Kits experience to a whole new level with 8 stages of live performance located across 10 blocks of West 4th. Stages will showcase over 50 of Vancouver's finest independent bands and solo musicians as well as many other artists and performers. So grab some sunscreen and good walking shoes and don't plan on being home for dinner. This is a full-day gig that you won't want to leave early. The Poppy Family Experience, Humans, Lightening Dust, Aiden Knight, Bend Sinister, The Shilohs – the list goes on and on. Check out the full line-up of performers at www.khatsahlano.com and develop a game plan to maximize your live outdoor free musical enjoyment.
Saturday, July 12 | 11-8pm | Along 4th Ave between Burrard & MacDonald | Free |www.khatsahlano.com
FARMACIE | A summer evening long table farm dinner is something that everyone should do at least once. If you haven't managed to attend one yet this season, consider heading out to the Fresh Roots Schoolyard Market Garden at David Thompson Secondary this Saturday night for Farmacie, a community dinner celebrating local food. Expect lots of fresh veggies, bread from Nelson The Seagull (with a delicious sounding smokey zucchini hummus), some arugula, mint and cilantro salad (with blueberries, feta and a lime jalepeno vinaigrette), basil gnocchi, sausages, and pavlova with fruit for dessert. Chefs Juno Kim and Marika Richoz will be preparing the feast with proceeds going to support Fresh Roots. "Fresh Roots transforms open spaces into thriving neighbourhood gathering places through urban agriculture. More than growing a garden, they grow communities. Their schoolyard market gardens are working farms and living classrooms on school grounds." That's a pretty solid cause. Tickets aren't cheap but this will be a stunner of an event and remember that the price of your ticket includes beer and wine.
Saturday, July 12 | 7pm | David Thompson Secondary School (1755 E 55th Ave) | $125 www.farmacie.ca
ART | Over the last few years many of Vancouver's galleries have re-located to a parcel of land between Main Street and Clark Drive just above Industrial Avenue. Some of these new tenants have given the area a new name – 'The Flats' – and this weekend they are planning to strut their stuff with a collective summer bash boasting numerous exhibitions. Get this: Monte Clark Gallery will be showing Evan Lee and Jonathan Syme; Equinox is showing works by LA artist Etienne Zack; Macaulay & Co has Shawn Hunt in to give a talk (2pm); The Wil Aballe Art Project has an artist talk (Jordy Hamilton, 5pm); Gallery 295 is holding an opening reception for Scott Billings; The Winsor Gallery opens a two-person exhibition of Angela Grossmann's Swagger series and figurative sculpture by David Robinson alongside an exhibition of paintings by Alessandro Papetti (talk 3pm); Chernoff Fine Art has a Photosession opening reception (12pm); and Field Contemporary Gallery has a performance starting at 1pm and a talk at 4pm. That's 8 galleries with full walls and added bonuses of attending artists, talks, and performances, all in one wee walkable microhood.
Saturday, July 11 | Various locations "The Flats" | theflatsvancouver.tumblr.com
ESCAPE | If you're in need of a summer vacation but can't manage to slip away from work for a long weekend, consider heading to Bowen Island for the day. Exploring beaches and forests on Bowen is a fantastic way to spend an afternoon. There's no need for a car. If you catch the 11am boat from Horseshoe Bay as a walk-on passenger you will arrive at the Marina Pier just in time for lunch (we highly recommend ordering yourself a rice bowl from Shika – just to your right as you disembark the ferry). This weekend is Steamship Days and there will be lots of activity as a result. Expect to see beautiful specimens of wooden boats brought over by The Vancouver Wooden Boat Society, as well as antique cars, live music, performance, a summer market, real live artists and patient, talented people leading kids' activities (not to mention those great beaches and lovely shaded forest trails).
July 11,12,13 | Bowen Island | www.steamshipdays.com