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.

The original Surrey International Children’s Festival ended in 2019. Surrey SPARK Stages launched in 2022 and has continued under that name since. In 2026 there are shows on May 23rd and September 26th.

Note: Another event you might be interested in is the Vancouver International Children’s Festival. It features an awesome series of shows and activities for young families on Granville Island, usually in late May or early June.

Surrey SPARK Stages Family Weekend

In the past, the Surrey International Children’s Festival aimed to inspire young hearts and minds through the arts. Surrey SPARK Stages follows a similar spirit, but on a smaller scale.

SPARK Stages normally features a mix of music, dance, circus performances, and hands-on activities. Events often include live shows, workshops, and roving entertainment designed for children and families.

Dates and Location

In 2026 Surrey SPARK Stages takes place May 23rd and September 26th. Events are held at the Surrey Arts Centre, located at 13750 88th Avenue, beside the entrance to Bear Creek Park.

Last year’s event ran on one weekend and included a variety of ticketed and drop-in activities. As of mid-May in 2026, however, that doesn’t seem to be the case. Instead, there are two ticketed shows on different days in the summer.

Shows and Experiences

The first show in 2026 is The Merry Marching Band. Held at 12:30 pm on May 23rd, the performance is an energetic musical journey designed for ages 5 to 12. After the show, there’s a puppet workshop, re-enactors portraying people from the past, and arts and crafts activities.

Alt-Escape is the September 26th show, with performances at both 3:00 and 7:00 pm. It’s said to be a unique journey with live music and futuristic visuals. This event is intended for ages 5 and above.

SPARK Stages Admission

Both Surrey SPARK Stages performances in 2026 are ticketed.

The May 23rd show costs $28 for kids and $35 for adults. Admission includes access to all the fun activities following the performance. Meanwhile, the September 26th show costs $45 for kids and $55 for adults.

Other Things to Do

If you head out to Surrey for SPARK Stages, be sure to check out the Art Gallery at the Surrey Arts Centre while you’re there. 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.

Other Information

To learn more about the Surrey SPARK Stages event, see the City of Surrey website.

Other articles that might be of interest include the following:

For information about a similar event in the Sea to Sky region, click Whistler Children’s Festival. Another website you might also find of interest is VancouverForKids.ca.