Sapperton Days is a family-oriented event celebrating New Westminster and Sapperton’s unique location and history. Sapperton Days has occurred on and off in the community for a number of years.
When the previous residents’ assocation (Sapperton Residents’ Association or SRA) ran it, it was called “Sapperton Days”. Chris Sargent apparently ran it in the late ’70s and it included a beer garden in the ’80s. When the current residents’ association (McBride-Sapperton Residents’ Association or MSRA) ran it until 2000, it was called “Sapperton Day” and was tied to the Hyack Festival. We know that Sapperton Day happened in 1994, 1995 (dubbed 2nd annual), 1996, 1997, 1998 (5th annual) and 2000.
From 2001 to 2003, there was not enough interest in the community to keep the event going.
In 2003, Gord Hobbis organized the first annual “Sapperton Bike Festival” and the event moved onto East Columbia St.
In 2004, “Sapperton Day” in Sapperton Park was resurrected and held in conjuction with the second annual Sapperton Bike Festival, both held on the same day.
In 2005, the “Sapperton Bike Festival” changed to the “Sapperton Street Festival” to be more inclusive of other businesses in the area and we changed our event to “Sapperton Family Day”, holding both events under the umbrella of “Sapperton Days”. Sapperton Days changed to a two day format with the Sapperton Street Festival on Saturday on East Columbia St. and Sapperton Family Day on Sunday in Sapperton Park. This worked for 2005, 2006 and 2007.
In 2008, there was not enough interest in the community to keep the Sunday event going and the format reverted to a single day format on the East Columbia Street, this time on Sunday. The Saturday was designated as the Sapperton Sidewalk Sale.
Up to 2016 Sapperton Day festivals, now called the Sapperton Day Street Festival, have been put together by the Sapperton Business Association with some help from both the McBride Sapperton Residents’ Association and Wesgroup Properties.
Sapperton Residents' Association 