Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival

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 and Milton Wong at the 1986 Vancouver World's Fair . 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.

Venue

* False Creek

Boats

The festival uses Gemini and BuK dragon boats. Older six-sixteen boats have been retired.