An event billed as Surrey's only free, family-friendly Halloween street festival returns to Newton this Saturday, Oct. 26.
Spooktacular Newton is set to happen from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on 137 Street, between 72A and 74 avenues, rain or shine.
Hosted by Newton Business Improvement Association (BIA), the annual event attracts close to 15,000 people to the area with trick-or-treating, entertainment, haunted train rides, mini golf, bouncy castles, face-painting, food and other vendors, and an Urban Pumpkin Patch full of pumpkins, which are given out by donation to Surrey Bank Food.
People are urged to wear Halloween costumes to Spooktacular Newton, where food vendors include Japadog, WakWak Burger, Kona Ice and Crispy Falafel Express.
"We are a car-free event that encourages you to think about how you get around the city, and as such, we won’t be offering any parking," says a post on Newton BIA's website. "Please obey local parking laws when finding parking on the side streets, and be respectful of the neighbourhood." Streets in the area will be closed from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
On Monday (Oct. 21), Surrey city council considers event sponsorship of $15,000 to support Spooktacular Newton, from the Council Initiatives Fund.
"The NBIA estimates that over 15,000 people will be attending this year’s event," says a report before the council. "The NBIA has requested the City consider supporting this event by providing a funding contribution to offset production, staging and traffic management costs."
So far in 2024, the Council Initiatives Fund has sponsored 13 events in Surrey including Surrey Hospitals Foundation's Celebration of Care Gala ($12,500), SFU President's Surrey Community Mixer ($5,000) Immigrant Link Centre Society ($5,000), Princess Margaret Secondary School's LeoCraft Design Team ($15,000) Balsar Community Foundation's Run Surrey Run ($20,000), Penmar Community Arts Society's Salmon Sessions Music Festival ($15,000), Surrey Pride Society Rainbow Gala and Awards Night ($4,000), UNITI Employment Services ($8,000) Car Free Day Surrey ($25,000), Fraser Region Aboriginal Friendship Centre Association ($25,000), International Yoga Day Celebration ($2,500) and Options Community Services ($25,000).
