Victoria Park — Attraction in Sandwell

Vaisakhi Mela at Victoria Park, Smethwick Yesterday, our family had the immense blessing of attending the Vaisakhi Mela at Victoria Park, Smethwick — and what a spiritually uplifting experience it was. This was our first ever visit to such a religious festival as a family, and it left us deeply moved and inspired.

The highlight of the day was undoubtedly the divine darshan of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, placed with full reverence under a beautifully adorned canopy, echoing the grace and aura of the Golden Darbar Sahib in Amritsar. The park was transformed into a sacred space, with the continuous recitation of Gurbani filling the air. It genuinely felt like a slice of Harmandir Sahib had been brought to Birmingham — the stillness, the serenity, and the unshakeable presence of Guru Maharaj Ji was something words can hardly do justice to.

🙏 Seeing families of all backgrounds bowing their heads, children learning how to matha tekh (bow) with respect, and sevadars maintaining discipline and devotion – it reminded us of the rich spiritual and cultural heritage that Vaisakhi represents.

Beyond the spiritual, the Gatka performances were powerful and captivating – a reminder of our martial tradition and valor. The weightlifting competitions, funfair rides, and children’s activities added joy and energy, making it a day that truly brought generations together.

However, the only dampener was the commercialisation of food stalls. Vaisakhi is meant to be a day of seva and sharing, yet almost every food and dessert stall was charging premium prices – even for simple kulfis or ice creams. It’s disheartening when a religious festival becomes an opportunity for profit-making, especially when Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s teachings emphasis humility, fairness, and service.

Recommendation: For food, we’d suggest stepping outside the park – there are plenty of local restaurants along the street that serve more authentic and affordable meals with the same warmth.

Highly Recommended: Attend for Guru Maharaj Ji’s darshan, the kirtan, the Gatka, and the sense of community spirit – these are not to be missed. It’s a chance to reconnect with Sikhi, especially for younger generations.

May Guru Sahib bless all sevadars who made the event happen – your efforts brought the spirit of Vaisakhi to life in the heart of Birmingham.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji...

I go to Victoria Park in Smethwick 3 times a week as I am a volunteer at Smethwick Heritage Centre the Museum in the Park at Victoria Park Lodge on Smethwick High Street next to the Smethwick War Memorial and Smethwick Council House. Please pay us a visit as our museum charts the Industrial heritage of Smethwick from around 1760 to the present day. Smethwick had 30 or so large engineering and metal form companies such as GKN in Heath St/Grove Lane, The Birmid Foundry, the Evered Foundry, the Smethwick Carriage Works which made railway carriages, Smethwick Drop Forgings, Chance Glassworks, once the largest glassworks in the world in Spon Lane Smethwick and others too numerous to mention. There was also the Mitchell's and Butler's Brewery on Cape Hill, all of which have now gone. GKN retains a West Midlands presence with its worldwide HQ being in Redditch. I am from Bearwood just up the Bearwood Road and my grandad Arthur Merriman worked as a metallurgist at GKN when it was in Heath St and lived in Bearwood. Smethwick is home to over 100 different nationalities with over 100 different languages spoken. It's a very diverse and multicultural with one of the largest Sikh Gurdwaras in the country on High Street Smethwick. I have a sticker on my car saying: "Smethwick: Centre of the Universe" as it's where the modern world was created by Lunar Society men Matthew Boulton and James Watt. Their production line to manufacture steam engines at the Soho Foundry in Smethwick led to the industrial revolution and the creation of the modern world through the steam power their engines created which powered Cottonopolis Manchester's looms and pumped water from the tin mines of Cornwall and the collieries of the Black Country. Smethwick is truly a historic place and the Smethwick Heritage Centre in Victoria Park...

This is a beautiful park which you would never expect and in the heart of Smethwick; and on a beautiful sunny day - it is a lovely way to spend a few hours. Whether you choose to walk around the whole of the well-kept and calming grounds, or sit down and have a picnic somewhere with plenty of beautiful spots to choose from and benches, or feed the ducks in the lake, you can easily visit Victoria park just to go for a walk in beautiful, calming surroundings to clear your head and enjoy being outside and I garuntee it will improve your mood! In addition to this, I was impressed with the fact that there is also a basketball court, a tennis court, a small cricket area, a whole mini gym area and play area for children so you can keep them busy too. Just be mindful for the sports you would need to bring your own equipment (balls and rackets etc). You can park inside the park for free, however parking is very limited, I only noticed around 6 spaces. There is a council building next to Victoria park which also has a car park. There is free street parking and apparently an Asda nearby that has free parking for 3 hours. Not sure if there are toilets but as you enter the park there was an Exhibition center which was closed when I went, which may have public toilets but this would need to be confirmed. Very impressed with the park overall, they have utilised the space well and maintained the park beautifully, catering to all age groups. Staff have also said they will soon be having a reopening concert in the near future. Definitely worth a visit on a nice dry day, as it is free and you can create your own fun. Be...