Surrey, B.C. – The City of Surrey is proud to announce that Canadian breakdancer and 2024 Olympic Gold Medalist Philip Kim, also known as Phil Wizard, will host a breakdance demonstration at the 14th annual Surrey Tree Lighting Festival & Holiday Market at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23. Presented by Concord Pacific, the free, two-day festival will also feature surprise guest ‘Cheerful Little-Who’ and a variety of performances including Krystal dos Santos, Kutapira, The Snow Sisters, Fraser Valley Academy of Dance’s “The Nutcracker,” Phat Santa Swing!, Spendo, B-Roll, The Leading Ladies’ Little Band, and Higher Ground Dance Battles.
“Surrey’s Tree Lighting Festival is a celebration of community spirit and we are thrilled to welcome Olympic Gold Medalist Phil Wizard to share his incredible talent with us,” said Mayor Brenda Locke. “We are also excited to have ‘Cheerful Little-Who’ make a special appearance to protect Surrey’s 60-foot Christmas tree from a certain green humbug. It will be a weekend filled with good cheer, bright lights and lively performances. This much-loved free event is fun for the whole family and is a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season. I hope to see you all there.”
Phil Wizard is making moves on the hip-hop dance scene as seen with his growing list of achievements, including 1st place at the 2023 Pan American Games; 2nd place at the 2023 Red Bull BC One World Final; and most recently, 1st place at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, taking home the first-ever Olympic gold medal in Men’s Breaking. Event organizers are thrilled to host Phil at the event to share his passion, creativity and expertise on breaking with Surrey’s community. “I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this event. I always am thankful to connect with home and look forward to showcasing breaking and meeting everyone attending!” said Phil Wizard.
This year’s surprise guest, ‘Cheerful Little-Who’, will be working to keep Surrey’s 60-foot Christmas tree shining bright from a certain green and grumpy guest at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24 on the main stage. Afterwards, the stage will light up with the fire show ‘Ember’s Awakening’, followed by a dance party featuring DJ Flipout. Throughout the weekend, attendees can also shop local goods from over 35 vendors at the Holiday Market; experience free amusement rides including the Ferris Wheel sponsored by Dawson + Sawyer; and take free photos with Santa sponsored by Kwantlen Polytechnic University.
For more information on the festival and to view the schedule, visit surreytreelighting.ca.