Dragon Boat BC is putting the paddles down as they announce the postponement of the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival.
The event was scheduled for June 21 to 23, but will now take place on September 12 to 13 in an effort to protect the community from the spread of COVID-19.
“During our deliberations, we considered all scenarios for the 2020 Festival and determined that a postponement into the Fall was the most feasible option,” explains Alexis Gall, General Manager of Dragon Boat BC.
The festival is held in the Vancouver waters of False Creek, beside Concord Pacific Place. It is a three-day festival that includes live performances, food and of course, dragon boating.
Gall says it’s a rare occurrence to cancel an event for a sport that never takes a break.
“For over 30 years, paddling has been a year-round sport on False Creek,” says the manager.
President and CEO of Concord Pacific Development Terry Hui says the event will hopefully be celebrated later in the year after it is safe to do so.
“The spirit of the dragon boat is represented by many teams and participants who have fought through various physical and social adversity to be part of this event. In this same spirit, we hope that the dedicated front line medical workers and our community win this battle soon so we can celebrate together at the festival this September,” says Hui.
Dragon Boat BC is the non-profit operator of the Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival, North America’s flagship dragon boat festival.The non-profit also runs Canada’s largest paddling organization, Dragon Zone Paddling Club – Canada’s largest paddling club.
Rebecca Lawrence
