Spark Stages at Surrey Arts Centre

The Surrey International Children’s Festival used to take place at the Surrey Arts Centre and Bear Creek Park in May. Now, Surrey SPARK Stages happens instead.

2019 was the last year of the Surrey International Children’s Festival. The first year of Surrey SPARK Stages was 2022 and it has taken place under that name ever since. In 2024 it happened on the weekend of May 25th and 26th.

Surrey SPARK Stages Family Weekend

In the past the Surrey International Children’s Festival has been about “inspiring young hearts and minds through the arts.” The theme in 2019 was “Seriously.” At the event there were arts and crafts activities, a storytelling tent, live entertainment and various workshops. Surrey SPARK Stages is similar, but smaller.

SPARK Stages events that took place this year included music and dance performances. There were also several theatre productions, including one glow-in-the-dark show and a comedy about a librarian. Continue reading below to learn more about this year’s Surrey SPARK Stages events.

Dates and Location

Surrey SPARK Stages took place on the Saturday and Sunday of May 25th and 26th in 2024.

As usual, this year’s activities were held at the Surrey Arts Centre, located at 13750-88th Avenue. The venue is on the right side of the entrance to Bear Creek Park.

SPARK Stages Admission

All Surrey SPARK Stages events are ticketed, unlike the old Surrey International Children’s Festival.

Tickets to each show cost about $16 for kids ages 12 and under. General admission for ages 13 and above costs $21 per show. Included with admission is access to activities that happen between the shows, such as workshops, puppet shows, magic tricks, roving performances and more.

2024 Shows and Experiences

The following were the shows and performances that happened over the SPARK Stages weekend in 2024. Each show took place on both the Saturday and Sunday. (Note: Exact details were subject to change.)

Dino-Light – a glow-in-the-dark show by Lightwire Theater from America that featured a mix of technology, puppetry and dance. This show was intended for children ages 3 to 10. It took place at 12:00 pm on Saturday and 2:45 pm on Sunday.
Falling in Africa – a lively music and dance show during which the audience was invited to dance. It featured Garth Prince from Alberta with shows at 4:05 pm on Saturday and 1:20 pm on Sunday.
The Libravian – a funny show about a librarian and the world of books. The theatrical experience was created by Bru Theatre in Ireland. It was a show for children ages 8 and older that took place at 1:20 pm on Saturday and 4:05 pm on Sunday.
Robot Song – a production by Arena Theatre all the way from Australia. The show was about human spirit and creativity and included animatronics, original music and lots of technology. It was for children 8 years old and older. The performance started at 2:45 pm on Saturday and at noon on Sunday.
Tree – a multi-sensory experience about nature coming to life by Théâtre Motus from Quebec. It was intended for little kids ages 3 and under. The experience ran at 12:15 pm and 3:00 pm on both days of Surrey SPARK Stages in 2024.

Surrey International Children's Festival — Surrey International Children’s Festival (From the Past)

Other Things to Do

If you head out to Surrey for SPARK Stages, while you’re there be sure to check out the Art Gallery at the Surrey Arts Centre. It’s small, but free, and often has interesting displays.

Also, be sure to wander around beautiful Bear Creek Park, with its gardens and great children’s play areas, including an awesome water park (which operates seasonally and is subject to water restrictions).

For information on other Metro Vancouver festivals, including the Vancouver International Children’s Festival which takes place around the end of May/beginning of June, check out Vancouver’s Festivals and Events Calendar.

For ideas on other things to do with kids, see Vancouver’s Best Places for Children.