Handout image from the Regional Assembly of Text.
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.
Write it down: It's letter writing time at the Regional Assembly of Text. If you've never heard of it before, the wonderful Main Street store sports a brilliant collection of books, paper, cards, stamps, chalkboards, boxes and, yes, even clothing, and on the first Thursday of every month they host a Letter Writing Club. It's free, open to everyone, and supplies are provided. Get it together now and you can get your holiday greeting-card list well under way with hand-written cards. Think about that for a second. How great would it be to have something other than bank statements and phone bills come through that old mail slot? Do a good thing: Send someone a letter! Thursday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m., Regional Assembly of Text (3934 Main St.), Free, assemblyoftext.com
Circle Craft: 'Tis the season of the craft fair. That means we'll start seeing community centres, church basements and school gyms throughout the city fill up with tables and booths displaying all manner of unique and handmade gifts. Things get rolling this week with a gathering of 300 artists, designers and artisans, drawn from across the country and wrangled together by the good folks at Circle Craft (a B.C. artist co-operative that has existed to connect craftspeople with community for more than 40 years now). Skip the malls and box stores. Buy small, independent and locally hand-made at the Vancouver Convention Centre this Thursday through Monday. That's everything from jewellery and jam to woodwork and textiles. Nov. 7-11, Vancouver Convention Centre (1055 Canada Place), $12, circlecraft.net
Bistro Wagon Rouge: Fans of Hastings-Sunrise's popular Red Wagon diner will be glad to learn that its chef/proprietor, Brad Miller, has opened a very cozy, casual, cheap and cheerful French bistro. Bistro Wagon Rouge is located at 1869 Powell St. in the old Dockers Diner spot at the foot of Victoria Drive. The space retains some original diner decor (checkered floor, banquettes converted from booths, old photographs, etc.), but also sees a lovely new zinc bar running the length of the space and lighting that is dead sexy. The menu has a traditional French feel with items including french onion soup, escargot, steak tartar, paté plates, beef bourguignon, steak frites, cassoulet and moules, with drink options that include a short and sweet wine list as well as a carefully considered selection of cocktails, aperitifs and beer. Our first pass the other night was amazing. Wagon Rouge (1869 Powell St.), 5-10 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, twitter.com/WagonRouge
Support: The East Side Boxing Gym is an East Vancouver not-for-profit organization committed to providing community members a positive environment to develop a healthy training regimen. The gym is for everyone, but has always aimed to support at-risk kids and youth and women dealing with violence by providing them access to a space (and coaches) that encourages persistence, respect and self-confidence. Last weekend the gym, furnished with new equipment and housed in a new space with money raised by Aprons For Gloves, was destroyed by fire. It's a sad turn of events, but this is a group of Eastside boxers, they aren't taking time out to cry. Rearrange your schedules for Sunday night and join the East Side Boxing Gym crew at The Bottleneck for a fundraiser that will contribute to seeing the gym re-established. Doors open at 5 p.m. Beer will be on sale and the final episode of the Aprons For Gloves documentary will be on the screen. A donation of $5 is requested at the door, but if you can swing it, throw a few extra bucks in the pot. Sunday, Nov.10, doors 5 p.m., The Bottleneck (870 Granville St.), $5 donation, eastsideboxing.ca
Equinox: There is a mind-blower of a three-part photography exhibition going on at the Equinox Gallery right now. Get this: Fred Herzog: Unseen Photographs, Twenty Photographic Pictures by David Hockney and a selection of works by Geoffrey James are simultaneously hanging on the walls of the gallery for viewing (and general jaw-dropping appreciation) until Nov. 23. That's a lot of talent under one roof! Tuesday-Saturday, until Nov. 23, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Equinox Gallery (525 Great Northern Way), equinoxgallery.com
Art: Once a year, Vancouver art enthusiasts Chris Bentzen and Jim Hoehnle curate a show of the works of 50 local artists, called Hot One Inch Action – the twist is that every piece in the show must fit inside a one-inch button. Those attending the show can purchase a mixed pack of five pieces of art that fit on to buttons for $5. The catch is that the pack will be random and you may not score the item you were after – that's when the fun begins and people start bargaining and trading. We have it on good authority that the usual 50 artists may have been jumped up to 60 for this year's show (organizers have added one extra artist for each year that the event has been running). Saturday, Nov. 9, 8-11p.m., Hot Art Wet City (2206 Main at 6th), hotoneinchaction.com
Pop-up: Vancouver artist Edward Juan digs the outdoors. He loves to surf and hike and he appreciates the details that he encounters as he explores the natural world – the flowers, leaves, evergreen cones and various kinds of kelp, it's all beautiful to him. So compelling, in fact, that he takes this love of nature, transforms it into sweet-looking graphics, and proceeds to silkscreen or letterpress print those on tea towels, tote bags, cards and calendars. Ed's stunning line of textiles and prints is called Forest & Waves, and he's having a pop-up shop at The Chinatown Experiment over the next few weeks. Poke your head in Monday to Friday 11-6 p.m., Saturday 10-7 p.m. and Sunday 11-5 p.m. Nov. 8-24, The Chinatown Experiment (434 Columbia St.), forestandwaves.com
Vinyl: Nothing sounds quite like vinyl. It's the difference between film and digital, ink and keystroke, a proper cup of coffee and the instant stuff. Vinyl has soul and depth. If you need any convincing, head to the Main Street Vinyl Record Fair this weekend and throw yourself in wax's deep end. On Saturday and Sunday afternoon, the Cambrian Hall (just off Main at 17th) will be swarming with vinyl lovers buying, selling or trading new and used records. You can talk old-school stereo equipment, wear your Clash shirt and marvel at the fact there are still people out there hoarding cassette tapes. Saturday, Nov. 9 and Sunday, Nov. 10, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Cambrian Hall (215 E 17th), $2 at the door, vinylrecordfair.com
Remember: Slow down and appreciate the gravity of your moment of silence this Remembrance Day. Services take place at numerous locations around town on Sunday morning, but the biggie will start around 10:30 a.m. at the Victory Square Cenotaph on the western edge of Gastown. Monday, Nov. 11, 10:30 a.m., Victory Square Cenotaph (corner of Hastings Street and Cambie Street).