New Westminster to get its first Car Free Day in August

You’ll no longer have to go to Vancouver to enjoy a car free day festival: on Saturday, Aug. 6, Columbia Street will serve as the backdrop for the first ever Car Free Day in New Westminster. Running from 4th to 8th Streets, the event will take place from 12 to 8 pm, and includes music, food, entertainment, and education around ways to be sustainable.

What you need to know:

Date: Saturday, Aug. 6 from 12 to 8 pm

Where: Columbia Street, from 4th to 8th Streets

Admission: Free!

What you’ll be able to enjoy: this licensed event includes food trucks, music, entertainment, contests, games, and educational opportunities involving sustainability.

“We just had our first one in Surrey last week,” says John Donnelly, who is producing Car Free Day New West. “We’re excited to take what we learned from that first one, and be able to apply it to New West – and see if we can raise the bar.”

Donnelly says it’ll be a good day for people to celebrate alternate ways to travel to where they need to go. “One of the goals [of Car Free Day] is to try and provide information to the public about things we can do to help make a difference, so you have to do it in a fun way,” he says. For him, one of the most important ways to do this is to be creative.

“We’ve got some games, for instance, that we’ve created using old car parts. There’s a pledge wall where people can make a pledge to zero in on what they want [to do]. Do they want to walk to work? Can you ride your bike more?” he explains. “World Car Free Day is a movement. This gives us a chance to bring that movement into our community and share those messages with those who want to hear it.”

It appears the timing couldn’t be better for Car Free Day, as the Downtown New West Business Improvement Association (BIA) previously decided to find another way to grow and evolve the Columbia StrEAT Food Truck Festival. Car Free Day will be replacing the former.

“We’ve learned over the years that events need to evolve, grow and change in order to stay relevant, so after a forced two-year break due to COVID, this was the time to rethink everything. After much consideration, we have decided that now is the time to try something new,” says the BIA’s Kendra Johnston.

While Donnelly is excited for everything at the event – from four performance stages to the family zone for kids – there is one thing he’s fairly pumped for.

“The beer garden!” Donnelly says with a laugh. “This is a licensed event; we were able to get a site-wide liquor license, and so that basically means people don’t have to stand in a cage and have their beer in hand. We want to create an environment where you can take your beer and sit down in front of the stage and enjoy music.”

Performance stages will include a hip-hop battle and acoustic listening, while the family zone will host everything from bouncy castles to puppet shows – and a whole block dedicated to families with strollers. There will also be a bike valet for those who want to bike to the event, though Donnelly recommends taking transit – especially with Columbia SkyTrain station nearby.

Donelly says there are still plenty of opportunities for people to apply to be a vendor or performer at the event, though the deadlines are approaching, so if you’re interested in being at Car Free Day New West, act fast!

Artisan Vendor: APPLY HERE

Commercial Vendor: APPLY HERE

Food Vendor: APPLY HERE

Downtown New West BIA Member: APPLY HERE

Performers: APPLY HERE

Volunteers: APPLY HERE