Surrey Vaisakhi celebration Saturday
The streets of Surrey will be packed Saturday for the annual Vaisakhi parade, which celebrates the Sikh New Year and harvest festival.
The parade begins around 9 a.m. at Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar at 12885 85th Ave. Environment Canada is forecasting showers and highs of 12 C, so consider bringing an umbrella or, even better, a head covering, which is required when visiting a gurdwara (place of worship).
Vaisakhi is a harvest festival that originated in the Punjab. In 1699, it became even more special for Sikhs when Guru Gobind Singh created the Order of the Khalsa, giving the Sikh faith its final form, according to the World Sikh Organization.
Those initiated into the Khalsa have committed to a lifetime of service to humanity, and the spirit of equality and compassion.
Organizers expect more than 300,000 to attend this year, making it one of the largest Vaisakhi celebrations outside of India. The City of Surrey is reminding people to expect traffic disruptions and some temporary parking restrictions.
It costs nothing to eat at Vaisakhi, where local residents and business owners line the sidewalks with langar — sweets and snacks for all.
Langar is based on the common kitchens in gurdwaras, where Sikhs demonstrate equality by sitting on the floor to eat with all people regardless of their caste, creed, religion, race or sex.