After seeing a lack of representation of his Caribbean roots in Surrey, Oliver Baley created the city’s first Afro Caribbean Cultural Summerfest for all to appreciate and participate in the cultural fun.
The all-ages festival kicked off on Saturday (August 13) and will end tonight at around 10pm.
“It is a dream come true. I’m glad that a lot of people appreciate it too,” said Baley Peace Arch News.
Cultural food, clothing, live music and living castles are all being enjoyed by the city’s residents thanks to Baley’s goal that he set soon after moving to Surrey in 2014.
Originally from Jamaica, Baley describes Summerfest as his “childhood vision” come to life. The planning for the event is rooted in his musical background as a drummer in a reggae band.
Surrey’s Afro Caribbean Cultural Summerfest was supposed to start earlier, but has been on hold due to health measures during the pandemic, until now.
What really drove Baley to continue planning the event is his goal to make a difference himself, rather than waiting for someone else to pick up the torch.
“There are some people who try, but for me, trying is not good enough,” he said.
Although Surrey is home to the largest black population in the province, Baley finds representation is still sorely lacking in BC.
“For my country and other countries in the Caribbean, the representation here is very low, so I just decided that somebody has to set the bar a little bit, so I came up with this idea (to) change the culture, the representation to a higher level . level,” he said.
Hopes for the first-time event are high, as Baley predicts the festival will “go bigger than I can expect”.
In the coming years, he wants to see Caribbean festivals and parties come to the coast and become a true Caribbean celebration.
Right now, Baley is connecting with other festival promoters around the country. Last week, Ottawa held an Afro Caribbean festival and next week one will be enjoyed in Edmonton. That’s important for Baley and others like him to “work together because it’s not a competition, it’s a mission.”
As the much-loved festival comes to a close, Surrey residents can expect it to return next year, perhaps on a bigger scale.
@SobiaMoman
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