Victoria’s Inner Harbour was filled with the sounds of drums and the sights of dragon boat races as the 2023 Canada Dry Victoria Dragon Boat Festival got underway Saturday (Aug. 12).
The 2023 edition marked the first time the festival returned to its full two-day glory since 2019, with the pandemic disrupting plans for several years.
More than 1,000 paddlers from across B.C. and the U.S. participated this year. Races are run in a fleet of international standard boats on a 470-metre race course, starting from Laurel Point and ending in the Inner Harbour beside Ship’s Point – making it the only race in Canada held in a working harbour, according to organizers.
In addition to the traditional Taoist boat blessing and eye dotting ceremonies to kick off the festival, this year’s edition also included additional cultural programming ranging from dragon and lion dance performances to Chinese opera and local indie rock performances.
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