Host an Event in a Park

Reduce waste by using reusable products

Pack reusable utensils, dishes, containers, bags, straws, and napkins.

Pack out what you pack in

Set up designated garbage and recycle bins to collect refuse at your event, then pack out all waste from your event and dispose of it appropriately. This includes:

• food wrappers and packaging
• food scraps
• take-out containers and pizza boxes
• decorations

There are garbage cans in our parks, but they cannot hold all of the waste produced from group gatherings and events. Packing out your own waste keeps parks clean and ensures no wildlife is harmed by extra waste. Also, since all waste that is tossed into a park garbage bin goes straight to the landfill, you can properly sort it at home instead.

Keep these items out of parks:

• one time use plastics like cutlery, stir sticks, and beverage containers
• Styrofoam
• balloons
• confetti
• disposable napkins

These materials can harm wildlife, plug storm drains, and are difficult to clean up.

If you are hiring someone to provide a service like bouncy castles, photo booths, face painting, magicians, catering and food trucks, you must provide the following on behalf of the vendors you’ve hired:

• $5,000,000 liability insurance that names the City of Surrey as an additional insured. Insurance should note the name of the park your event is at but should be issued to City of Surrey
• A City of Surrey Business Licence
• A completed Hold Harmless Agreement

If your event requires a permit, please have it on hand at the time of your event.

Submitting documentation

Submit all necessary documents to partnersinparks@surrey.ca or contact 604-501-5050 for more information.

Catering

You may have your event catered. However, your caterer must not solicit or advertise business in the park and may only serve guests included in your party.

Stay on all designated trails and open lawn (mowed grassy areas that are not sports fields or tall grass meadows which are important for groundnesting birds and other wildlife).

Stay out of garden beds, forested areas and tall grass meadows.

These guidelines are in place to protect environmentally sensitive areas from trampling, erosion and loss of biodiversity.

Professional and group photography is allowed in Surrey's parks when these guidelines are followed.

All sites

• Stay on designated trails and open lawn (mowed grassy areas that are not sports fields or tall grass meadows which are important for groundnesting birds and other wildlife). Stay out of garden beds, forested areas and tall grass meadows.
• Do not use smoke bombs, coloured powder, or other such devices.
• Drones are not allowed in Surrey Parks without permission from the General Manager of Parks, Recreation & Culture. You must have a flight permit on you if asked.

These guidelines are in place to protect environmentally sensitive areas from trampling, erosion and loss of biodiversity. Please respect these guidelines, wildlife and the experience of all visitors. 

Elgin Heritage Park and Historic Stewart Farm

A permit is required for professional and group photography.

Natural gas, propane, and charcoal briquettes are permitted if they are being used in ULC/CSA-approved devices for that particular product.

Permitted areas

Within Surrey parks, you can only barbeque at picnic table sites.

Natural gas & propane

You can barbeque with natural gas and propane at any picnic table site.

Charcoal briquettes

Charcoal briquettes are only permitted at picnic table sites that have City-sanctioned coal disposal containers. When the fire danger rating is High or Extreme, no charcoal briquette barbeques are permitted in parks. 

Find out where City-sanctioned coal disposal containers are.

Smoking or consuming alcohol is not permitted in any Surrey park.

Events may be set up in a vacant location on open lawn without restricting access to other park users. No special park access will be given to set up your event.

You may use one 10x10 foot tent with tent weights (preferred) or small pegs (4-6 inches).

• Tents larger than 10x10 feet are not permitted in Surrey parks

• External structures such as arbours, or staged set ups for engagements, photography, weddings etc. are not permitted in Surrey parks

Amplification of sound (including microphones, speakers and megaphones) is not permitted in Surrey parks.

Parking is first-come, first-served.

You can host an event on a first-come, first-served basis without notifying us.

You can host an event on a first-come, first-served basis but you must notify us as an approval letter may be required. Email partnersinparks@surrey.ca. 

You can host an event on a first-come, first-served basis but you must notify us as an approval letter may be required. Email partnersinparks@surrey.ca. 

A permit is required.

Fill out and submit a Community Event Hosting Application.

Surrey Parks fosters connections to nature and is committed to building a legacy for future generations. 

Notify Us of Your Visit

You can host your school visit on a first-come, first-served basis, but you must notify us. Park spaces cannot be reserved.

To notify us of your visit:

• Email - partnersinparks@surrey.ca   

Plan Your Visit

Surrey has over  200 publicly-accessible parks that you can visit with your class—find nature trails, picnic areas, playgrounds, spray parks and more.

Additional Resources