Thousands of people participated in the historic Vancouver Vaisakhi Parade on Saturday, April 13. Over 200,000 people gathered at this event to celebrate Vaisakhi Day celebrations in Vancouver, BC, organized by the Khalsa Diwan Society.

The parade that is locally known as the Nagar Kirtan in Vancouver is the oldest in Canada, dating back to 1979, and is organized by the Khalsa Diwan Society, which was established in 1906. It is one of Vancouver’s most interesting festivals as this Indian and South Asian event celebrates the Punjabi New Year. Vaisakhi is one of the most important festivals in the Sikh calendar with parades in both Vancouver and Surrey on weekends. While the Vancouver Vaisakhi parade took place on April 13th, the Surrey parade is scheduled for a week later, on April 20th.

Vancouver’s Vaisakhi Parade is one of the largest and most impressive festivals in the city, joined by hundreds of thousands of people from a diverse range of backgrounds and ethnicities. Annual attendees include thousands of people dressed in beautiful and colourful traditional clothing walking down Ross Street to Marine Drive, and then from Main Street to 49th Avenue, then south down Fraser as far as 57th Avenue before returning down Ross Street to the Sikh temple. There is a festive atmosphere throughout with free food and other refreshments being distributed everywhere.

Vaisakhi marks the establishment of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 and celebrates the start of the spring harvest. It is a time for reflection, gratitude, and renewal, promoting unity and community with a sense of inclusion for everyone.

The city of Vancouver has declared April as Sikh Heritage Month, which is a matter of pride for the vibrant Sikh community in Vancouver. Multiple dignitaries and government officials attended the Vancouver Vaisakhi Day parade.