Dragon Boat West

As some of the paddlers in False Creek have heard, the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival in Vancouver has officially changed the date from the weekend of June 18/19 to June 10, 11 and 12th, 2011.

However, this IS NOT the 25th anniversary of the Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival. Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival started 2 years after the inagural Dragon Boat Demostration Race at Expo in 1986. The Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival Society was not incorporated untill 1988.

The Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival or Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival takes place every June at False Creek in Vancouver. It is the largest and oldest Dragon Boat Festival outside of Asia. It was founded in 1986 by Honourable David See-Chai Lam and Milton Wong at the 1986 Vancouver World's Fair (Expo 86). It was first produced as a demonstration sport, being the first dragon boat race/festival outside of Asia. It has grown in leaps and bounds and is not only recognized as North America's biggest and best, but also as the festival which kick started many other dragon boat festivals in the western world.

The Festival was created as a showcase of Vancouver's growing cultural diversity and to promote racial harmony and cross cultural understanding to all Canadians - both new and old. Vancouverites were invited down to the festival to experience spectacular food, entertainment, arts and children's programming reflecting Vancouver's cultural diversity. Today, it is still fulfilling its mandate to promote cultural harmony amongst Canadians, the Festival has developed into one of Vancouver's most anticipated annual family summer events. Vancouver's Alcan Dragon Boat Festival is a true celebration of multiculturalism, attracting over 100,000 people and more than 180 dragon boat teams from across the Lower Mainland and around the globe.

tHere are the details for this years festival:

The 23nd Annual
Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival
June 10th, 2011 Opening Night
June 11 & 12, Festival and Races
Presented by the Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society

Recognized as North America’s biggest and best, the 23rd annual Rio Tinto Alcan Dragon Boat Festival in Vancouver will be a true celebration of our diverse and beautiful city, attracting over 100,000 people and close to 180 dragon boat teams from across the Lower Mainland and around the globe.

Beginning on Friday night with the colourful Eye Dotting Ceremony, the festival will continue with two more days of non-stop entertainment on the World Beat Stage, fabulous food and shopping, and of course, dragon boat racing of the highest caliber.

Admission is free to the general public so what’s stopping you? Come on down to  the waters of False Creek and celebrate with us!

Schedule in a nutshell

Friday, June 10

4 pm Blessing Ceremony at the Concord Pacific Dock (north side of site)

Saturday, June 111

8 am Races Start

10 am Site Activities Open

11 am World Beat Stage begins entertainment.

6 pm Dragon Boat Festival entertainment ends, Desifest entertainment begins

10 pm Festival Site closed

Sunday, June 12

8 am Races Start

10 am Site Activities Open

11 am World Beat Stage begins entertainment.

12 noon Championship races begin (time approximate)

1:30 pm Welcome Remarks from World Beat Stage

6 pm Dragon Boat Festival entertainment ends and Site is closed

Located at Concord Place, Creekside Park, Creekside Community Centre and the waters of False Creek, near Science World. Nearest Skytrain Station is Science World. Intersection of Quebec Street and Terminal Avenue in Vancouver.

What a bummer.  That weekend corresponds with UC graduations (Universities of California - UCLA, UCSD, Cal, etc.) .  There's a handful of us that won't be able to make it up this year.

pfttt graduation schmaduation, Alcan is awesome-r...defer until fall ;)