The Surrey Vaisakhi parade has grown in more ways than one.
This is a feat that was likely not foreseen by the organizers of the event when it first began in 1998 to accommodate the growing Sikh population in the area. While the celebrations continue to commemorate the birth of Khalsa for Sikhs and the harvest festival for the people of Punjab, the event itself has grown in more ways than one.
In the early years, the stalls were predominately run by families from the Sikh community. However, there has been an increasing participation in the event by local businesses.
From law firms and local grocery stores to national banks, logos from these establishments can be seen embellished on helium balloons, reusable bags, and pens which are distributed at the event. Some businesses have also found creative ways to promote themselves, like hosting contests and draws for attendees to win a variety of prizes.
Groups promoting awareness on the Sikh religion and Punjabi culture have also found unique ways to endorse these initiatives. Tying turbans, offering complimentary books, singing traditional hymns, and performing folk arts on stages are just a few examples of this. Furthermore, as spectators have increased, so has the appearance of politicians.
Members from various levels of government can be found taking pictures, socializing and speaking on stage. Since the event is so successful, it has become a great opportunity to appeal to an entire demographic of people.
In recent years, the celebration has also been used as a platform to bring awareness to social issues affecting the South Asian community.
These social issues include the abuse of human rights, gang violence, substance abuse, and female foeticide/infanticide. Additionally, many community organizations and NGO’s have also used this opportunity to gather support and funds for their respective initiatives.
Whether it is for the local food bank, a home for the elderly and disabled in India or support for abandoned children, the donation boxes of these organizations are usually full at the end of the celebration. In fact, some of these organizations manage to raise thousands of dollars in donations from the event itself.
In the past five years alone, the attendance rate has doubled. In fact, the celebration has become so renowned that drone footage and recordings from the event have been broadcasted in other parts of Canada and across the globe. Likewise, the breadth of the event has also caught the attention of many mainstream news channels.
As the event gets larger, volunteers begin to prepare weeks and sometimes months in advance. Tents begin to assemble earlier and the array of foods found at the stalls increase with every passing year.
While the concept of serving ‘complimentary food’ has its roots in the Sikh principles of vand ke chhako (the concept of sharing) and langar (a communal space where food is served), the overabundance of participation in the event has contributed tremendously to the overall economy. In fact, the Surrey Vaisakhi celebrations contributed an estimated $12 million towards the provincial economy in 2014.
Ultimately, the Vaisakhi celebration in Surrey is something the Sikh community should be very proud of. While the event has grown tremendously, the roots of the celebration have stayed intact. As Surrey prepares to celebrate its 19th year of the event, I expect nothing short of an increase in grandeur and participation.
