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New ‘Car Free Day Surrey’ to bring music, food, beer to Newton street this spring

A ‘pedestrian paradise’ is planned for Newton BIA-hosted gathering June 11
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Surrey-based duo Destineak is among music performers at the first Car Free Day Surrey event, June 11 in Newton. (Photo: Facebook.com/DESTINEAK)

More details about Surrey’s first Car Free Day event have been revealed, including the “first wave” of performers.

The inaugural Newton BIA-hosted gathering will be held Saturday, June 11 in Newton’s town centre, on 137th Street, from noon to 8 p.m.

The “pedestrian paradise” will be filled with vendors, food trucks, beer gardens, exhibitors and “interactive elements,” according to event producer MRG Events, along with two stages for local recording artists, dance groups and family entertainment.

Performers include Ashleigh Ball, daysormay, Meltt, NADUH, The Jins, PEAK, Á’a:líya, Tess Anderson, DESTINEAK, City Entertainment, Vancouver Street Dance Festival, Robin Reddy Show and Mom Bop, with more to come.

“We are still accepting vendor applications, so get applications in before May 15,” a media advisory noted Thursday (April 28), for Newton BIA members, artisans, commercial and food vendors.

Event and vendor info is posted to carfree.ca.

Presented by TransLink, Car Free Day Surrey offers “a chance to learn more about the future of transportation in our city,” organizers say.

“We encourage all to think about alternative transportation methods when coming to the festival. Please take transit, bike, walk, car-share, car-pool or other method of electric transportation.”

TransLink’s Trip Planner is online at tripplanning.translink.ca/hiwire.

Car Free Days is “an internationally recognized brand, enjoyed in major cities across the globe,” according to a report to Surrey city council last Monday (April 25), when a “sponsorship contribution” of $25,000 was approved by the council.

There’s “potential” for Car Free Day Surrey to become an annual event, notes the report, which details similar events planned this summer in New Wesminster, Vancouver, Port Coquitlam and North Vancouver.

The business model for the Surrey event involves three presenting partners (“allowing the event to be staged for free”), with $30,000 from Newton BIA, another $30,000 from TransLink and $25,000 from the City of Surrey.

The event budget is designed to “balance forecasted revenue against expenses to deliver a professionally produced event,” MRG Events says in its sponsorship pitch. “Total working budget is planned at $110,000 including all City costs.”

Coun. Doug Elford says he hopes Car Free Day Surrey becomes an annual event – “not necessarily one location, but moving it around, if possible,” he told the council.

“A lot of the money that we’re contributing to this is going to go to our local artists that have really had a hard spell over the COVID time.… I really look forward to this event coming in June.”



tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com

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Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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