Paddles up! The Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival takes place in Vancouver this year from June 20-22 on the waters of False Creek. Originally created for Expo ’86, the festival has grown into a huge celebration of sport and culture. To get all the insider details on the festival events, I talked to Anita Webster, who has been doing publicity work for the festival since 2000. She got involved because she “suspected it would be a lot of fun” and has not been disappointed. Here’s what she had to say:

What is the festival celebrating and why is it important?

We have now been one of Vancouver’s premier summer events for 26 years! The event began as a way to show off Vancouver’s multicultural side. It was a demonstration sport during Expo ’86 – organized by the Chinese Cultural Centre (CCC) using six beautiful teak dragon boats sent over from Hong Kong.

Paddles at a Vancouver Dragon Boat Regatta
People were really interested so the CCC kept putting on races and a few years later a couple of local business people, noting the interest, formed a society and expanded the races into a festival celebrating the varied cultures in our city.

We continue to celebrate diversity by encouraging people of any ability or background to take part! We have teams made up of paddlers of all ages and abilities. As we say, you don’t have to be a super athlete to be on a dragon boat team. There is no MVP on one of these crews – everyone’s participation is key!

Boats at Vancouver Dragon Boat Regatta

How does holding the festival in Vancouver contribute to its atmosphere? How is the community engagement?

Ask almost anyone in the city and they know a paddler, have been to the event or watched the practices. The dragon boat festival is a real fixture in the city now.

As a free event to kick off summer (we always hold it near the solstice as was done in Ancient China[1]),

we have become a great place for people to bring their visitors and spend time on the waterfront listening to live music, having snacks from around the world, and watching the races.

For many paddlers (and we have over 5000 taking part on festival weekend!) it’s their social life and exercise. I have it on good authority that several marriages have resulted from friendships begun on a dragon boat

How can the general public get involved?

The Rio Tinto Alcan dragon boat festival is a free event. This year it kicks off on Friday, June 20th with the traditional blessing ceremony in which Taoist priests “dot the eyes” of the dragons on the boats and cleanse the race course to ensure swift and safe races.  The public is invited to watch the race and then take in the free live music on the stage. Eye-dotting is on the dock south of the Science World Dome and free concerts are located in the Olympic Plaza nearby.

The festival then kicks off at Creekside Community Centre the next morning from 10 am ‘til 6 pm then again with the same hours on Sunday. There will be food booths, races, more live music, sponsor tents, tea-tasting and great people-watching!

What is your favourite aspect of the festival?

People at a Vancouver Dragon Boat Regatta

After all these years, I just love seeing my “festival friends” again each year and being part of the positive vibe on site. It’s really a great, relaxed way to connect with others in the city – people you wouldn’t otherwise meet. I really encourage anyone who hasn’t come down to pay us a visit this year.

People at a Vancouver Dragon Boat Regatta

For more information on the history, schedule, events, and location of the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival, see their website.

[1] On June 2, 2014, China celebrated the annual Dragon Boat Festival, which commemorates the patriotic poet Qu Yuan who drowned himself in political protest. The legend goes that mourning villagers went out in boats, beat drums, and threw food into the water in order to keep the fish away from his body. This race to find his body is the supposed origin of the dragon boat racing tradition