Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival celebrates 35th Anniversary on June 24 & 25, 2023

The 2023 Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival is set to welcome 100,000 visitors and racers to celebrate its 35th anniversary on June 24 and 25 at Concord Pacific Place, Creekside Park, and False Creek. All events are free and open to the public.

Almost two hundred teams, five thousand racers, and the new TD Main Stage’s 100% local lineup featuring Dear Rouge and SABAI kick off Vancouver’s summer season at the continent’s flagship dragon boat festival.

Races start at 9:00 am on June 24 to qualify and rank for Sunday’s semi-finals and finals. Races end at 6:00 pm each day and a medal ceremony will take place on June 25 for race winners. Racers will paddle in a fleet of dragon boats, nine of them featuring a variety of local artwork by artists including Deborah Sparrow and Derek Tam.

With both Chinese and Indigenous cultural pavilions, the festival aims to honour the meaningful relationship between Chinese and Indigenous communities starting from when Chinese communities arrived in North America and were welcomed by the Indigenous community.

Guests will enjoy a local craft market in partnership with GotCraft Markets, Vancouver’s largest waterfront patio and a variety of food trucks.

35th anniversary surprises will add to the excitement. On June 24, a Canadian Citizenship Ceremony will take place at 10:00 am and guests will be invited to celebrate the 35th anniversary with a free slice of birthday cake made by Chinatown’s The Boss Bakery at 12:00 pm, thanks to Concord Pacific.