13750 88 Ave
Surrey
The annual Surrey International Children’s Festival is the only arts-based children’s festival this side of the Fraser River!
The Festival inspires young hearts and minds to greater possibilities, and celebrates our rich and diverse cultural heritage through performing and visual arts experiences. Most performances and activities are ticketed but access to the site is free, as well as participation in Saturday’s parade!
Thursday & Friday, May 23 & 24 | 9:00am to 2:30pm
Saturday, May 25 | 10:30am to 7:30pm
Surrey Arts Centre and Bear Creek Park
2019 Festival Theme – “Seriously”
“Excited about living! It’s a rejuvenating experience to be surrounded by art all day.” – 2018 Festival Attendee
For fifteen years the Surrey International Children’s Festival has inspired the community to experience new things and to encourage children to become patrons of the arts. Above all, the Festival creates a space where the children and family participants are taken seriously, as artistic practitioners, observers and consumers. The Festival presents the best in international and national featured performances and works hard to offer a wide genre of art-making activities to ensure the highest standards of artistic exploration. Join us May 23 – 25, 2019 for some Serious Fun.
Venues
There are 5 performance venues which will feature national and international performers:
- 3 venues inside the Arts Centre (Main Stage Theatre, Studio Theatre and Lily Pad Stage)
- 2 venues in Bear Creek Park (Leap Frog Stage and Community Spirit Stage).
There are hands-on arts activities inside tents, and roving performances throughout the park. It is a unique and festive festival! A one-of-a-kind in Surrey and the surrounding area!
Getting to the Festival
We encourage attendees to carpool and use public transit to come to the Surrey International Children’s Festival.
Taking Transit: From Surrey Central Skytrain Station, take the 321 Newton Exchange/White Rock Southbound or the 96 Newton Express bus and ask to be dropped off at 88th and King George Blvd.
Driving: Public parking is available for FREE right beside the Surrey Arts Centre, through the main entrance at the pedestrian light off of 88th Avenue.
There’s also parking available near the Bear Creek Park entrance (off of 140th street, south of 88th) and at the Gurdwara Nanaksar at 14210 88th Ave. Thanks to the Gurdwara for allowing us to use their parking!
Safety
There are uniformed and plainclothes RCMP officers on site for the full duration of the Festival. There are also volunteers from Community Policing assisting with traffic control and overall safety. In addition, trained first aid attendants are on site. Any child who gets separated from his/her class or family is taken to the Information Booth and RCMP officers work with staff to reunite them.
Food vendors
We have a wide range of options for food at the Festival, including a kid’s menu: $5.00 for a healthy kid’s portion meal. All plates and cutlery are compostable, so please be sure to use our compost and recycling stations. You can also bring your own food and have a picnic at any of the tables around the Festival site.
If you are a food vendor looking for opportunities, please contact Rod Grant 604-551-1615 or rgrant-icl@shaw.ca
The children’s festival does not provide booth opportunities. Please contact the City’s special events team to inquire about booth opportunities at other events.