One of the most anticipated multicultural events of the Lower Mainland the Surrey Vaisakhi Parade was celebrated over the weekend after a 3 year pandemic hiatus.
Canada’s largest Vaisakhi Parade outside of Punjab, India took place on Saturday, April 22, in Surrey, and was attended by 700,000 people.
Vaisakhi is a significant festival in Sikhism and Punjab, commemorating the harvest season and the birth of the Khalsa, the community of baptized Sikhs. The festival has gained prominence in Canada, especially in British Columbia, home to the largest Sikh population outside of India.
Surrey residents were excited to be a part of the parade once again and dressed up in colourful traditional attire.
The parade route started at the Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar, one of the largest Sikh temples in North America, on 128th street and 85th Ave, and wound through the streets of Surrey, attracting participants and spectators from all over the Lower Mainland and beyond.
Road closures were in place from 7:30 am to 6:00 pm on the day of the parade. 128th Street was closed and detours were in place between 72 Avenue to 88 Avenue, and Scott Road to King George Boulevard.
The colorful and vibrant community event started building around 8:30am and saw volunteers and local businesses enthusiastically handing out treats and food to attendees in order to make it an enjoyable and memorable experience.
To ensure the event ran smoothly Surrey Fire Service, Surrey RCMP, Surrey Police Service, Surrey Bylaws and BC Ambulance Service were also on scene.
High profile politicians such as Premier David Eby, Opposition leader of the BC United Party, Kevin Falcon, and MLA Jinny Sims were in attendance at the parade.
Surrey, BC is home to one of the biggest Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtans in the world outside of Punjab. It was so great to celebrate this past Saturday with over 700,000 people after three long years apart. I hope everyone had a wonderful time. Vaisakhi di lakh lakh vadhai! pic.twitter.com/nMFWfZMqIC
— David Eby (@Dave_Eby) April 24, 2023
This weekend, I celebrated the Surrey Khalsa Day Vaisakhi Parade with my BC United team and over 700,000 people!
— Kevin Falcon (@KevinFalcon) April 24, 2023
Big thanks to the event organizers and to BC's Sikh community for sharing their vibrant culture with us.
Don't miss the highlights of this unforgettable day!👇 pic.twitter.com/GLykqmmAGM
Wonderful to see folks enjoying #Vaisakhi in @CityofSurrey #VaisakhiParade Our Premier @Dave_Eby enjoyed meet & greet with so many. 🙏🙏🙏@MeganDykeman @RachnaSinghNDP @BrendaBaileyBC @henryyaomla pic.twitter.com/Nwa0ll7ZgY
— Jinny Sims (@jinnysims) April 23, 2023
The Darpan Magazine team was at the parade in full force and parade goers were eager to pick up a copy of the special Vaisakhi issue of the magazine.
Darpan Magazine hopes to see more of you take part in the Vaisakhi celebration next year.
