Formerly called Surrey Fest Downtown, Downtown Surrey Fest is a free community festival with entertainment and family-friendly activities at Central City Plaza.
Other than the very slight name change, and its new location outside the shopping mall instead of at Holland Park (where it used to happen), the event is similar to what it has been for a number of years.
In 2025 the one-day event happened on Saturday, June 21st. Other events that take place in the city in the summer include Surrey’s Canada Day Celebrations and the Surrey Fusion Festival in July. Other events that happened elsewhere in the Lower Mainland on June 21st this past year included the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, ScotFestBC in Coquitlam, Lynn Valley Days in North Vancouver, and the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival in Burnaby. June 21st is also National Indigenous Peoples Day and there will be events celebrating that all over the region, including in Surrey.
See our June Calendar of Events to learn about other events happening this month. Continue reading to learn about the Surrey Fest.
Downtown Surrey Fest
Surrey Fest Downtown used to take place at Holland Park. However, in 2024 the event took place at Central City Plaza, so just outside the Central City shopping mall at 13450 102 Avenue. The venue is close to the Surrey Central SkyTrain Station in Surrey. That’s where the event happened again in 2025.
Previously known as the Whalley Community festival, the event is a medium-sized affair. It attracts about 4,000 attendees in years with good weather. This year, the event took place on Saturday, June 21st. Festivities usually run from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm.
What to Expect at the Surrey Community Festival
At Surrey Fest Downtown most years there are a small number of food and market vendor stalls, information booths, a silent auction and live performances.
In total, around 40 businesses and other local groups usually participate and have a presence at the event. They represent everything from credit unions, church groups and artists to non-profit organizations such as Girl Guides and Crime Stoppers.
Surrey Fest Downtown is a good event to attend if you want to learn about the local community and organizations in it.
Festival Entertainment
Surrey Fest Downtown is a fairly simple and low-key affair for the most part, but it does offer great live entertainment at specific times. Below was the schedule of events in 2025.
(Note: Times and details were subject to change.)
- 11:00 am – Chris Hamilton
- 12:00 pm – Opening Ceremony
- 12:30 pm – The Wheat in the Barley
- 1:30 pm – Sun Hang Do
- 2:00 pm – Cookin’ with Brass
- 3:00 pm – Junk Oy
Surrey Fest Kids’ Zone
In addition to the above and other live entertainment, there is usually a Kids’ Zone at the festival.
In previous years, the Kids’ Zone featured a couple of bouncy castles, face painting and a craft station for children. There is also usually free popcorn, candy floss and other treats. At the time of writing this article, exact details about the Kids’ Zone in 2025 were to be confirmed.
Tips & Advice
Below are a couple of suggestions and information to help you make the most of your visit to the festival at Central City Plaza:
TIP #1: Take public transit. The Surrey Central SkyTrain Station is steps away from Central City shopping centre.
TIP #2: Unless you’re a young child, the main attraction, in our opinion, is the live music. For young children, however, the most fun will be at the Kids’ Zone.
Other Information
Visit surreyfest.ca for more information about the festival at Central City Plaza.
See our article about Surrey for information about the city and other things to do in the area.
In case you’re interested, other (and generally larger) major festivals at various times of the year in Surrey include the following:
- Party for the Planet – a free event celebrating Earth Day at the Surrey City Hall Plaza in April.
- Surrey Vaisakhi Parade – a major Punjabi festival in April that’s free and attracts over 200,000 people.
- Cloverdale Rodeo & Country Fair – a community fair and rodeo on the Victoria Day long weekend in May.
- Surrey Fusion Festival – a large and free multicultural event in July at Holland Park.
