1. Close to 5,000 people are expected to take in this year’s Fleetwood Festival, set for Saturday (Sept. 10) at the community centre there, at 15996 84th Ave., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The 18th annual fest will feature performances by local youth and cultural groups, “Story with Dorie”, Irish dancing, acrobats, a magic show, henna tattoos and balloon twisting. Of special note, a ceremony will honour the late Rick Hart, who founded the festival and was named Surrey’s 2016 Good Citizen of the Year for his work in the community. More event details are posted online at Surrey.ca/culture-recreation/13766.aspx, or call 604-501-5026.
2. Dog lovers will be hitting the ground walking (and maybe running, too) on Sunday, Sept. 11 during the BC SPCA Paws for a Cause walk, to be held at Bill Reid Millennium Park in Cloverdale starting at 9:30 a.m. For participants, attractions include dog agility and “nose work” demos, plus a fun zone for kids, games for dogs, mascots and more. “Every dollar raised will help us rescue and care for abused, injured and abandoned animals and work to prevent cruelty before it occurs,” the BC SPCA notes on the event website, Spca.bc.ca/surreywalk.
3. Also in Cloverdale, “A celebration of Caribbean and African culture through music, food and handcrafts” will take place Saturday (Sept. 10) during Surrey Reggae Festival, a day-long event featuring Luciano (nominated for a Grammy Award in 2016 for his album “Zion Awake”), Turbulence, Omolara, Mad Riddim, Los Furios and several other artists. The all-ages event has been moved indoors at Cloverdale Fairgrounds, from the Stetson Bowl to the nearby Agriplex. Last year’s event, dubbed B.C. Reggae Festival, was cancelled after local police expressed concerns about the event’s security plans. This time around, advance tickets are $20 via Ticket-pal.ca/event/Surrey-Reggae-Festival.
tom.zillich@thenownewspaper.com