Surrey in October: Festivals, Families, and the Feeling of Belonging
October in Surrey doesn’t feel like just another month on the calendar. It’s a season where the city pauses between the rush of summer and the chill of winter to ask a deeper question: what does community really look like?
Take Diwali in Surrey on October 5 (2–5 pm, Surrey City Hall). It’s not just a festival of lights; it’s a reminder that in one city, a dozen cultures can shine side by side. Watching the glow of diyas and the pulse of traditional music downtown, it’s hard not to feel that Surrey is building something larger than infrastructure and housing — it’s building a shared story.
The Fall Handcrafted Expo 2025 on October 4 (10 am–4 pm, Shannon Hall, 6050 176 St) shows another side of that story. Rows of tables filled with handmade art, jewelry, and baked goods may seem small compared to corporate malls, but it’s these small tables where human connection happens. You talk to the maker, not just the cashier. You hear the hours, the mistakes, the laughter that went into creating something from scratch. Isn’t that the kind of economy worth nurturing?
Then there’s the Metro Vancouver Black Business Expo on October 18 (Surrey City Hall). It’s more than an expo — it’s a statement. That Surrey is willing to hold space for stories and enterprises that for too long have been on the margins. For residents, showing up isn’t just about browsing products; it’s about acknowledging that economic equity matters and diversity isn’t a slogan — it’s a practice.
The Grand Diwali Gala 2025 on October 17 (5–10 pm, Aria Banquet & Convention Centre, Surrey) adds glamour, but also symbolism. Culture celebrated in banquet halls and awards reminds us that traditions don’t just survive — they evolve, adapt, and take centre stage in modern Surrey.
Even the quieter Family Fun @ Surrey Libraries on October 11 (2–4 pm, City Centre Branch, 10350 University Dr) has its lesson. While the big festivals grab headlines, the most ordinary spaces — a library, a table of board games, a child building towers with KEVA planks — are where belonging really begins.
So what does October in Surrey tell us? That a city isn’t only measured in condos built or roads widened. It’s measured in the moments where people stand together under lanterns, shake hands across business tables, laugh in pumpkin patches, or watch their children find joy in something simple.
Maybe that’s why Surrey feels less like a city in transition and more like a city in conversation — with its past, with its future, and with all of us who call it home.
This article is original and written specifically for SurreySpeak.com
