After a hiatus of three years due to pandemic restrictions, over half a million people gathered in Surrey, British Columbia, to celebrate the Khalsa Day Vaisakhi Parade, making it one of the largest Vaisakhi parades in Canada. The Vaisakhi festival marks the creation of the order of the Khalsa in 1699, a significant event in Sikh history that solidified the Sikh faith’s final form.
This year’s festivities took place in the Newton neighborhood of Surrey and featured food, music, performances, speeches, and decorative floats. The practice of serving free meals to the community, known as seva and langar, was also an essential part of the celebration.
The Vaisakhi parade used to attract between 300,000 to 500,000 attendees before the pandemic. This year’s event saw more than 500,000 people attending the parade, according to the festival organizers. A separate Vaisakhi parade in South Vancouver also saw hundreds of thousands of people attending last Saturday, with the presence of British Columbia Premier David Eby and Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim.
The return of both parades reflects the unity and acceptance of the Punjabi community within Canada, according to the organizers. Many volunteers participated in the festivities, including Raj Arneja, owner of Nanak Foods, who said, “It’s part of our Sikh religion, it is part and parcel of us doing seva. It feels really good, it’s exhilarating to see all the people.”
Tony Singh, owner of Surrey grocery Fruiticana, also expressed joy at being back and serving food to the attendees, saying, “It feels wonderful to be out here and doing seva. This year feels a little different because after three years, we come back, it brings all the memories back.”
The festivities continued until around 6 p.m., with organizers already planning for the 2024 parade. “As always, the festivities were volunteer-driven and exemplify the pride and enthusiasm of the Sikh community in sharing their rich culture and history,” the parade organizers said in a statement.