Surrey Library and City Hall

Surrey is Metro Vancouver’s second largest municipality and home to a large East Indian population, the Cloverdale Rodeo, Bear Creek Park and Crescent Beach.

With a population of half a million, it’s also one of the fastest growing cities in Canada.

In this article you’ll find information about the following topics:

Surrey, British Columbia

Surrey has one of the most ethnically diverse populations anywhere, with over 40% of residents speaking a first language other than English.

With its very large East Indian population, Surrey is home to numerous East Indian restaurants and hosts the giant Surrey Vaisakhi Parade & Celebration held annually in April.

Surrey is a fast-growing and increasingly dynamic place to do business, but not a major tourist destination (although we think it could be as it’s home to some wonderful places and events).

Surrey has a number of large shopping malls including Guildford Town Centre (with over 200 stores at 10355 152nd Street) and Central City (with over 130 stores as well as an SFU Campus at 10153 King George Boulevard).

THE CIRCUS IS COMING!

The Royal Canadian International Circus is in Surrey from May 4th to 7th in 2023. It’s also in Vancouver from May 11th to 14th and in Richmond between May 18th and 22nd. It’s a great family-friendly circus. The shows are also very affordable, especially when you use the promo code VANSBESTPLACES and get get 2-for-1 pricing when you buy your general admission tickets online.

Surrey’s Best Places

Some of the most interesting places to visit in the city include the following.

Surrey Parks and Gardens

Bear Creek Park – a popular park with miniature golf, a Miniature Train Ride, outdoor swimming pool, running track, walking trails and gardens.
Darts Hill Park – a pretty garden that is open to the public on specific dates.
Elgin Heritage Park – a park that’s home to hiking trails, a boardwalk and historic Stewart Farm.
Glades Garden – a beautiful oasis close to the US Border that’s only open on specific dates.
Holland Park – an attractive park where several annual events occur near Central City Mall.
Redwood Park – a large park with play areas, picnic spots and trails through the forest.
Tynehead Regional Park – over 250 hectares of forested trails and meadows that are great for walking and cycling.

Other Attractions and Places of Interest

Art Knapp Plantland – a garden centre with a fun and easy mini-golf course, along with a train ride for young children.
Barnston Island – a rural island between Surrey and Pitt Meadows which is a good flat place for cycling.
Bose Corn Maze – an autumn attraction at Bose and Sons Farms.
Central City Fun Park – the largest indoor amusement park in Metro Vancouver, featuring roller skating, mini-golf, arcade games and more.
Clayton Community Farmers Market – a market that is really more artisanal than anything else, taking place bi-weekly at Clayton Heights Secondary School in the summer.
Cloverdale Flea Market – a giant yard and garage-sale-style market selling everything imaginable on Sundays throughout the year.

Shoppers and Vendors at Cloverdale Market — Cloverdale Flea Market

Crescent Beach – a scenic site located not far from the seaside community of White Rock.
Elements Casino & Racetrack – a venue with casino games, entertainment and live horse racing.
Gobo VR – a virtual reality game centre at Guildford Town Centre in Surrey.
Guildford Town Centre – a large shopping mall at 10355 152nd Street.
Hazelmere Golf Course – a nice golf and tennis club in South Surrey.
Hi-Knoll Driving Range & Mini-Golf – a large driving range paired with a relatively challenging 18-hole mini-golf course.
Morgan Creek Golf Course – one of Metro Vancouver’s top public courses that, interestingly, is also known for being one of the best places for golf during or after periods of rain.
Northview Golf and Country Club – home of two beautiful courses designed by Arnold Palmer.
Surrey Art Gallery – an engaging art gallery with both contemporary and digital art.
Surrey Museum – a free community venue for family fun and historical learning.

Surrey Festivals and Events

Surrey hosts a number of great festivals and events, including some of the Lower Mainland’s largest and most impressive festivals. Below is a list of some of the best.

Holidays and Seasonal Events

Canada Day – major Canada Day celebrations on July 1st at the Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds.
Easter, Halloween and Christmas Trains – seasonal-themed miniature train rides at Bear Creek Park.
Lumagica – a Christmas lights attraction in Cloverdale (in December of 2021 but not necessarily in other years too).
Diwali Fest – an East Indian festival with events in both Surrey and Vancouver in October.
Hazelmere Pumpkin Patch – Gabriel Farms hosts a pumpkin patch and corn maze in October.
Rondriso Farms – a family-run farm with a pumpkin patch and hayrides in October.
Remembrance Day – the city’s main Remembrance Day Ceremonies take place in Cloverdale on November 11th each year.
Surrey Holiday Lights – a Christmas-themed attraction in the plaza outside Surrey City Hall in December of 2021 (and maybe or maybe not other years too).
Surrey Tree Lighting Festival – festivities at the Plaza at City Hall at 13450-104th Avenue in late November, with the official lighting of the 55-foot Christmas tree in the evening.

Car Free Day Surrey in Newton — Car Free Day Surrey

Food & Drink-Related Events

Cloverdale Food Truck Festival – a food-themed event with live music and family-friendly activities (usually in May).
Surrey Greek Food Festival – a community event featuring Greek food and entertainment at a Greek Orthodox Church in June.
Brewhalla Cloverdale – a beer and music festival at the Agriplex.
Cloverfest – an Oktoberfest-themed beer festival at Shannon Hall in Cloverdale (which takes place some years, but not all).

Other Surrey Festivals and Events

Car Free Day Surrey – a new event in June 2022 with free entertainment and activities along 137th Street in Newton.
Beyond Van Gogh – an immersive art exhibition featuring the works of Vincent Van Gogh at the Cloverdale Agriplex from February until early March in 2023.
Party for the Planet – a free event around Earth Day in April every year that includes concerts, family-friendly entertainment and environmentally-themed activities and things to see at the Surrey City Hall Plaza.
Surrey Vaisakhi Parade – a major East Indian festival held annually in mid-April that features free food, colourful traditional costumes and hundreds of thousands of participants.
Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair – a major event with cowboys and cowgirls, bucking broncos, farm animals, rides and carnival entertainment on the May long weekend.
Surrey International Children’s Festival – a festival for kids and their families at the Surrey Arts Centre and Bear Creek Park in late May. (This event no longer happens. In its place is a smaller Surrey SPARK Stages series of events.)
National Indigenous People’s Day – an event showcasing First Nation’s culture at Holland Park on or around June 21st.
Surrey Fest Downtown – a small community festival at Holland Park in June.
FVDED in the Park – a large music festival taking place at Holland Park in July.
Surrey Fusion Festival – a celebration of music, food and culture at Holland Park in July.
Sounds of Summer Music Series – free outdoor concerts at different Surrey parks on various evenings in July and August.
Garden Light Festival – a free event with child-friendly activities and illuminations at Bear Creek Park in November.

Surrey in the Summer

Surrey has a number of attractive parks, including Bear Creek, Darts Hill, Holland Park (near Central City mall), and Glades Garden. Throughout July and August, different parks in Surrey feature free outdoor music concerts on Wednesday evenings. See Sounds of Summer Music Series for details.

As far as regular weekly events, the Surrey Urban Farmers Market takes place on Saturdays from early June until early October. It’s a medium-sized market with live music in the afternoons.

Surrey Restaurants

Surrey is home to some amazing places to eat. From Indian to Western, Asian and everything in between.

Click Surrey’s Best Restaurants to find recommended places to eat.

Surrey Hotels

Surrey has a number of hotels. On of the most well-known is the Sheraton Vancouver Hotel. It’s where a lot of conferences take place. To learn about this and other places to stay see our article about Surrey Hotels.