Up to 100,000 people are expected to gather in Abbotsford on Sunday (Sept. 4) for the annual Sikh parade, known as the Nagar Kirtan Procession.
The event has not been held since 2019, due to the pandemic, and organizers are expecting to draw 80,000 to 100,000 people from across the Lower Mainland and beyond.
Surrey’s huge Vaisakhi parade was cancelled in April of this year – for the third straight year – due to a lack of planning time following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
RELATED: 2019 Nagar Kirtan Procession in Abbotsford
That event draws close to 500,000 people to the streets of Newton every spring.
The Nagar Kirtan Procession in Abbotsford involves transporting Sikhism’s holy scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, on a float through the streets while singing devotional hymns.
The parade, which begins at 10:30 a.m., starts and ends at the Gurdwara Sahib Kalgidhar Darbar (Sikh temple) at 30640 Blueridge Drive.
RELATED: Surrey’s huge Vaisakhi parade cancelled again due to ‘tight turnaround’ to plan April event
The route travels east on Blueridge Drive to Townline Road, Southern Drive, Sandpiper Drive, Goldfinch Street and back on Blueridge to the temple.
The city says rolling road closures will be in effect between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., with approximately a two-hour closure at most locations along the route as the procession passes. Lengthier closures are expected near the temple.
The city also advises that bus service in the area will be disrupted. A map of scheduled bus re-routing is available at bctransit.com/central-fraser-valley
