August 12 to 14
Regular deadline: June 14th
www.victoriadragonboat.comThe 11th annual Victoria Dragon Boat Festival will take place on:
Date: 12th, 13th and 14th of August, 2005.
Time: Friday 12th approximately 12:00pm to 6:00pm and
Saturday and Sunday from approximately 9:00am until 6:00pm
The dragon boat races and other festive cultural activities will unfold in Victoria's stunning Inner Harbour, a bright anchorage around which the city curls like a sleeping dragon. As the Inner Harbour is the heart of Victoria's downtown civic life, many restaurants, hotels, and shops are clustered nearby.
This year, 90 dragon boat teams from across North America will race over Victoria's approximated 500-metre course, paddling from Laurel Point to the Royal London Wax Museum. As in previous years, we expect the races to be hotly-contested and highly-entertaining for competitors and spectators alike. Although the Inner Harbour is a sheltered stretch of water, it is still an extension of the Pacific Ocean. As well-traveled dragon boat racers have noted, the salt-water race conditions are similar to those of the Hong Kong Festival. Victoria's race site is a working harbour, a distinction shared by no other Dragon Boat Festival in Canada.
Of course, Victoria's Inner Harbour is also a natural venue for the Festival's on-land multicultural extravaganza. After all, the Festival is not simply a sports event, it's a cultural event. This year, we're offering a panoply of multicultural events: an entertainment stage featuring live dance and music, a children's activity tent, and a food fair.
