The annual Vaisakhi parade is nothing short of colour and festivities as the South Asian community celebrates one of the most important festivals in the Sikh calendar!

Vaisakhi is celebrated by people of Indian descent as a festival of harvest and renewal, as well as a time to meet friends and family.

It is also one of the holiest days in the Sikh calendar. It marks the formation of the Order of the Khalsa more than 300 years ago. Metro Vancouver’s Vaisakhi celebrations are among the largest outside of India. Attendees wear colourful, traditional clothes as they parade through the streets enjoying langar (free food) served by devotees doing volunteer service for thousands present at the parade.

Everyone is welcome at this event, which features floats, community performers, and live music. Here’s everything you’ll need to know to have a fantastic time:

When: Saturday, April 19. The festival begins around 9 a.m. at the Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darmar Temple at 12885 85 Ave, Surrey, BC and concludes there at around 4 p.m.
Where: The festival travels along 124th Street, turns left onto 75th Avenue, continues on 76th Avenue, onto 128th Street, then back to the Temple. View the festival route here.
How to get there: Take transit, walk, or roll as there’s limited parking. The 323 Surrey Central Station/Newton Exchange takes you to and from 128 Street and 88 Ave, which is a 5 minute walk to the parade start point at the Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar.

Here’s a few more helpful tips: 

• Plan your transit trip using our Trip Planner at translink.ca/trip-planner.
• Kids 12 and under ride free every day and you only need a 1-Zone fare to travel across all zones on Saturdays.
• Don’t have a Compass Card? Simply tap your contactless credit (Visa, Mastercard or American Express) or Interac Debit card on our Compass Card readers to pay your transit fare. This includes Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
• There are road closures to accommodate the parade. As a result, 323 Surrey Central Station/Newton Exchange, 324 Surrey Central Station/Newton Exchange, and 329 Surrey Central Station/Scottsdale bus routes are re-routed on parade day.
• Visit translink.ca/alerts for details that may affect your commute.