An impressive 1,600 dragon boats will glide through the waters of Harrison Lake this weekend.
The Harrison Dragon Boat Festival is set for Saturday (July 27) with the first races scheduled for 9:30 a.m. The event if free to attend.
This year's dragon boat festival is expected to welcome 56 teams from all over B.C. and throughout the Pacific Northwest. New this year, the festival welcomes the Hon Hsing Athletic Club, one of B.C.'s most prestigious kung fu clubs, performing a traditional Chinese Lion dance at the lagoon at noon.
The festival also supports the Agassiz-Harrison Community Services food bank; cash and food can be donated on site at the canoe near the festival information tent.
This year marks the second festival since the COVID-19 pandemic shut it down in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, the Dragon Boat Festival was cancelled due to a low number of teams who signed up. The festival re-launched in 2023, and with 56 teams on board for 2024, participation numbers are approaching pre-pandemic levels once more.
The racers will compete in 200-metre and 500-metre races on Harrison Lake, divided into three main classes: women's only, mixed and junior teams.
