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10 Ways to Celebrate Summer at the 2018 Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival

 New this year: the seven-acre Red Truck Patio, BC’s largest outdoor beer garden

The Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival, Vancouver’s largest and longest running outdoor summer festival celebrates its 30^th anniversary, June 22-24, on the shores of False Creek. Each year, an estimated 100,000 spectators line waterfront vantage points from Creekside Community Centre and Science World to Concord Pacific Place.

A celebration of community, culture, and competition, the 2018 Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival will welcome 5,500 top paddlers on 200 dragon boat teams from across Canada and around the world, including Australia, China, Chinese Taipei, Germany, Hong Kong, Macau, the Philippines, and the United States.

Here are 10 top reasons to usher in summer at the 2018 Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival:  

1. All Access Friday 

On All Access Friday, June 22, the festival opens at 3:00 pm with the colourful Eye Dotting and Dragon Boat Blessing Ceremony performed by priests and members of the congregation of the Evergreen Taoist Church. At 6:00 pm, the Concord Pacific All Access Cup features paddlers racing to raise awareness of different charities in an exciting 100m knockout race. 

2. All-ages Red Truck Patio 

Measuring almost seven acres (three hectares), the Red Truck Patio is Vancouver’s largest licensed patio, offering front row seats to False Creek racing action and live concerts on the Main Stage. The all-ages venue will serve Red Truck’s award-winning craft brews, as well as cider, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages. Red Truck Patio is open from 3 to 8 pm on Friday, June 22, and from 11 am to 8 pm on Saturday and Sunday, June 23 and 24.

3. Circus West and Dragon Dancers 

See Circus West aerial acrobats, stilt walkers, clowns, and jugglers spin, balance, and defy gravity as they roam the festival site performing dynamic acts of artistry. Also, watch Hon Hsing Athletic Club of Vancouver perform a traditional lion dance on Friday or catch this skilled Chinese troupe performing dragon dances throughout the site on Saturday and Sunday.

4. Concord Stage 

Friday at 7 pm, grab a prime seat to watch the Dragon Fire Show as fire-breathers, acrobats, and dancers perform white-hot magic. Saturday and Sunday, enjoy a Circus 101 learn-to-juggle workshop, the Gravity Showcase with Harrison Lee Kite Flying, and Las Estrellas De Vancouver ─ a lively all-female Mariachi band.    

5. Dragon Boat Exhibition 

Check out the longboat exhibition, commemorating the festival’s 30^th anniversary and 33 years of dragon boating in Vancouver. See a fully restored teak dragon boat, now a valued artifact and one of the original dragon boats used at Expo 86. 

6. Free Family Fun 

Families and kids of all ages can enter the Family Zone in the heart of Creekside Park to hear dragon myths and legends, watch performances showcasing local culture, enjoy art and craft workshops, and learn how dragon boating became a vital part of the community fabric. 

7. International Competition 

Watch elite teams from nine nations race for glory in North America’s largest dragon boat competition. On International Saturday, starting at 1:30 pm, the competitive ante is raised high in the  Concord Pacific Champions Race Series, which sees the world’s top teams battle for their countries in a race to win the International Cup, followed by a full day of racing action. On Championship Sunday, races are decided by milliseconds with the pinnacle of the sport showcased at 12:30 pm in the Grand Finals. 

8. Music on the Main Stage 

From Latin to jazz, alt-country to pop, the festival’s Main Stage presents three days of free concerts at Creekside Park. Dance to the reggae, rumba, and gypsy rhythms of the Rio Samaya Band and Juno awarding-winning Rumba Calzada. Kick back to the smooth R & B of the Winston Trio or get moving to the wild musical mix of international artists Blackberry Woods. 

9. Paintillio 

Pick up a paint brush and get creative at the Paintillio booth, back by popular demand, where festival-goers can help create a giant paint-by-numbers community mural. 

10. Vancouver Food Trucks 

Stroll the parade of Vancouver’s popular food trucks, lined up near the Concord Pacific Fan Zone, and dine on ethnic specialities from Jamaican and Thai dishes to dim sum, donairs, and gourmet hot dogs.

For a complete schedule of races, concerts, and entertainment at the 2018 Concord Pacific Dragon Boat Festival, visit http://vancouverdragonboatfestival.ca/attractions/