Surrey Fest Downtown is a free community festival. It includes live entertainment, family-friendly activities and community info stalls at Central City Plaza.
In 2023 the one-day event happened on Saturday, June 17th. The date for the event in 2024 is to be confirmed.
To learn more about what else is happening around the same time in the Lower Mainland, see our article about Vancouver Father’s Day Activities. To learn more about Surrey Fest Downtown, continue reading.
Surrey Fest Community Festival
In recent years, Surrey Fest Downtown has taken place at Holland Park. However, in 2023 the event happened at its old location. This past year, Surrey Fest Downtown 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.
Previously known as the Whalley Community festival, the event is a medium-sized affair. It attracts about 4,000 or so attendees in years with good weather. In 2023 the event celebrated its 23rd anniversary on Saturday, June 17th. Festivities ran from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm.
What to Expect
At Surrey Fest Downtown each year there are a small number of food and market vendor stalls, community organization informational booths, a silent auction and live performances.
In total, over four dozen 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.
If you want to learn about the local community and organizations in it, Surrey Fest Downtown is a good event to attend.
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 2023. The schedule of events for 2024 is to be confirmed.
(Note: Times and details were subject to change.)
- 11:00 am – Happy Hour
- 11:45 am – Sun Hung Do
- 12:15 pm – Opening Ceremony
- 1:00 pm – Julio Avila Cuban Band
- 2:00 pm – Alec Dore
- 3:00 pm – Los Duendes
Surrey Fest Kids’ Zone
In addition to the above and other live entertainment, there is usually a Kids’ Zone at the festival. 2024 details are to be confirmed.
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.
Tips & Advice
The following is a list 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
For more information about the festival at Holland Park, click Surrey Fest Downtown.
For information about the city and other things to do in the area, click Surrey.
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.
