Surrey's Fusion Festival has begun.
The free two-day festival officially started with the Parade of Culture Saturday afternoon, during which local dignitaries walked alongside cultural pavilion organizers from the ML Emporio Celebration Stage to the Concord Pacific World Music Stage.
Surrey mayor Brenda Locke thanked organizers for sharing their culture with the community. "I often say that you can travel around the world and stay right here in Surrey and that is what makes this city amazing," Locke said
"The theme of this year's fusion festival landmarks is landmarks of the world, with over 50 cultural pavilions, and eight stages around the park, you'll see live entertainment and amazing food," Locke said.
Locke said the festival is more than a celebration of music and food. "It has become a beacon of connections and belonging, reminding us all of our unique backgrounds, and that is what makes our city stronger."
Premier David Eby took the time to thank all the volunteers who helped make the festival possible.
Admission was free to the annual gathering of multicultural music, food, and culture, which took place over two days, July 20-21. The pavilions represented cultures from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America.
On Saturday, youth battled it out in cooking showdowns to be Surrey's top youth chef.
This year's concert headliners are Sudan Archives (Saturday) and Malkit Singh (Sunday's festival-closer), along with MAUVEY (Afro-pop, hip-hop, rock), Jade LeMac (singer-songwriter with a large TikTok following) and DJ Goddess (billed as the first female Bollywood DJ to hit international charts).
-With files from Tom Zillich
