Car Free Day Surrey is a street party-style event featuring free entertainment, an artisan market and family-friendly activities along 137th Street in Newton.
In 2023 Car Free Day Surrey returned on Saturday, June 10th. Other free events that happened over that same weekend included the Shipyards Night Market, Langley Community Day, the Fraser Valley Car Show, Fair in the Square, Italian Day on the Drive and the Teddy Bear Picnic. Also that weekend was the Rotary Ride for Rescue which is a fundraising cycling event up Cypress Mountain. There was also a Queen Tribute Concert at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver.
The second week in June is usually a busy time with many fun events happening all over the Lower Mainland. There’s certainly no shortage of events to attend and enjoy.
Surrey’s Car Free Day Street Party Event
There are several different Car Free Day events most years across Metro Vancouver. However, there hadn’t been one in the City of Surrey until last year.
Similar to other events of the same kind, Car Free Day Surrey is all about driving less and encouraging active modes of transportation such as walking, cycling and public transit. Given the rising prices of fuel and awareness of reducing carbon emissions as much as possible to mitigate against the ongoing climate change crisis, these alternative methods of transportation are especially important to consider!
Car Free Day Surrey is open to the public and completely free to attend. It takes place rain or shine. It’s a giant street party with all kinds of things to see and do!
When and Where?
The second annual Car Free Day Surrey event took place on Saturday, June 10th, which was the weekend just before Father’s Day in 2023. The event ran all afternoon and evening, from 12:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The event will likely follow the same format when it hopefully returns in 2024. The festivities happen along 137th Street between 72A Avenue and 74th Avenue in Newton which is a district in Surrey about four kilometres south of Bear Creek Park.
Newton is in Central Surrey. It’s about seven kilometres south of Central City and about 14 kilometres north of White Rock.
Who is Performing?
In addition to vendors, food trucks and family-friendly things to see and do, there is live entertainment at Car Free Day Surrey.
At the inaugural festival in 2022, there were a couple of different stages where musicians, dance groups and other entertainers performed. Artists at the event also included Ashleigh Ball, daysormay, Meltt, NADUH, The Jins, PEAK, Á’a:líya, Tess Anderson and others.
Performing at the event in Surrey in 2023 were Luv Randhawa who is a Canadian-British artist considered by many as the pioneer of the Bhangra Fusion Movement outside of Asia. Also performing this past year was MNGWA which is a local eight-member band known for its Latin and African tunes. Other guest artists included Haleluya Hailu and Glisha. There was also a DJ and Dance Zone at the event.
In the Family Fun Zone in 2023 there was juggling entertainment with Matt Henry (who was at the event last year too). A face painting station, balloon twisting opportunities, mini golf games and a bouncy castle also featured.
At Car Free Day Surrey there are also lots of food trucks and market vendors along 137th street between 72A and 74 Avenue.
What to Expect
On Car Free Day in Surrey a section of 137th Street is closed to traffic most of the day. This way, pedestrians can walk on the road with no worries while enjoying all of the fun activities at the event. Sticking with the theme of no cars, there is no parking available on-site, which is important to know in advance.
Car Free Day Surrey offers several things to do for all ages. Lots of families and friends take part in the festivities and have fun!
During the event multiple stages are set up along the street and there is plenty of live entertainment. Car Free Day Surrey also has a Family Zone with a stage of its own. The Family Zone is where you can find the juggler, balloon twister and face painter. There is also free mini golf, other games, and other fun activities.
The event in 2022 featured a beer garden and an artisan market with local vendors. The entire street was like one giant beer garden in fact! The adult beverages aspect about the event in 2023 was still to be determined at the time of writing.
Tips & Advice
Below are some suggestions to help you make the most of your experience at the car free day event in Surrey.
TIP #1: Try to walk, ride your bike or take public transit if you can. It is a “car free day” event after all! The neighbourhood is about a 30-minute walk and bus ride south of the King George SkyTrain Station.
TIP #2: Go with a group of friends if you can. The more, the merrier!
TIP #3: Go with an appetite. There are food trucks serving tasty food on-site.
TIP #4: Car Free Day Surrey is a great event for all ages. Kids and young families will enjoy the entertainment and activities, but so will older folks and groups of all ages.
Car Free Day Video
To give you a really good idea of what to expect at the event, check out the following video. It shows scenes from Car Free Day Surrey in 2022.
As you’ll see in the video there are lots of vendor stalls and information booths. There are also food trucks, games, live entertainment and lots of people having a great time.
Featured performers in this video are the artist Á’alíya rapping on the Main Stage and the Mom Bop Band dancing and singing on the Family Stage.
Other Information
For more information about Car Free Day Surrey, visit the Newton Business Improvement Association‘s website.
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
- City of Surrey
- Vancouver Festivals and Events
- Vancouver on a Budget
- June Calendar of Events
- Car Free Days in Vancouver
