Every Friday this summer, we’ll publish a list of 10 Things to Do in Surrey, a chance to explore new places and events in the community. Email us your favourite thing to do in Surrey, edit@surreynowleader.com.
1. STOP TO SMELL ROSES
Rare plants, shrubs and trees can be found at Darts Hill Garden Park (1633 170th St.), a 7.5-acre paradise gifted to Surrey by Francisca and Edwin Darts in 1994 as “a showcase of 70 years of devotion, hard work and a pure love of horticulture.” With ticketed, pre-registered entry ($5), visitors can explore the site during public garden strolls, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on most Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays until July 31. Call 604-501-5100 or visit dartshill.ca.
2. JUMP IN A POOL
Surrey’s eight outdoor pools are open for the summer, with staggered opening dates. The outdoor pools at Bear Creek, Greenaway and Sunnyside opened May 17, followed by Hjorth Road on June 5 and Holly, Kwantlen, Port Kells and Unwin pools on June 26. Admission is free, and swim times are posted to tidesout.com, along with lesson information, or call 604-531-8855. Tides Out operates the city’s outdoor pools.
3. VISIT SAG
Summer 2021 exhibits at Surrey Art Gallery include Cindy Mochizuki: Autumn Strawberry, Henry Tsang: Hastings Park and ARTS 2021. With a thermal imaging camera, multimedia artist Tsang makes Hastings Park’s “invisible history visible again” concerning Japanese-Canadians during the Second World War, while Mochizukui’s work explores life on local Japanese-Canadian farms of the pre-war era, with hand-painted and digital animation. Visit surrey.ca/artgallery or call 604-501-5566 for pre-booked exhibition visits and art courses at the gallery, at Bear Creek Park.
4. PEDAL IN A PARK
One of the region’s largest downhill mountain bike parks is located at Invergarry Park, accessed from Wallace Drive and Surrey Road. The “local treasure” offers a range of trails to suit various skill levels and ages, including some of Surrey’s most expert terrain – up to 25 metres of vertical, all flowing through the forest. Invergarry Park dates back to 1913, when the municipality began consolidating land for the conservation of the Bon Accord ravine and creek system.
5. ‘PAINT THE TRAIN’
This summer, the Arts Council of Surrey, in partnership with Fraser Valley Heritage Railway and Langley Arts Council, presents the juried exhibition known as Paint the Train 3. “The theme is on the era around the BC Electric Railway that includes both the impact of electricity on (modern day) areas of Surrey and Langley, and includes the various steam railway operations for freight, passengers and logging,” notes a post on artscouncilofsurrey.ca. The entry deadline is Aug. 21, so get painting.
6. READ ‘POETRY ROCK’
At Bear Creek Park, a poem is engraved on a large piece of granite, in English and Korean. The words of Rev. Dr. Byung Sub Van’s “Mere Water am I” address the universal theme of water “in its many forms, from raindrops to rivers to oceans, and through its many uses, from slaking thirst to producing power for factories. At the same time, the work uses the metaphor of water to celebrate social unity and cultural diversity.”
7. CELEBRATE CANADA
With Surrey’s popular Canada Day event cancelled at Bill Reid Millennium Amphitheatre this year, the celebration has shifted to the virtual world, on surrey.ca/canadaday. On July 1, the livestream will feature music by Buffy Sainte-Marie, Jim Cuddy, Walk Off The Earth and other Canada-focused entertainment.
8. DAY-CAMP THE KIDS
Surrey’s summer 2021 day camps for kids include Fun Zone, licensed preschool and arts/heritage camps, with online registration for August camps starting June 30. Visit surrey.ca for details, or dial 604-501-5100.
9. VOLUNTEER
Keep busy and help the community by volunteering your time in Surrey, with such opportunities posted at surrey.ca/about-surrey/volunteering. With questions, call 604-598-5863 or email volunteer@surrey.ca. Also, lots of Surrey-area kids are looking for mentors through bigsisters.bc.ca and bigbrothersvancouver.com.
10. FLY A KITE
There are plenty of great spots in Surrey to launch a colourful kite, with parks and sports fields aplenty. At Crescent Beach, ocean breezes can help your kite reach new heights.
More things to do in Surrey: CLICK HERE to read the entire “101 Things to Do in Surrey” feature from our June 24 print edition.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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