The Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival runs from Friday evening to Sunday evening on the third weekend of August each year.

General Schedule

Throughout the day enjoy vendors, food trucks, family-friendly activities, and the beverage gardens! Specifics for each year's festival are posted in late to early August. Click above for the most up-to-date information on the upcoming festival.

- Opening ceremony
- Morning races — all teams race once in randomly assigned heats
- Afternoon races — all teams race once in randomly assigned heats
- Morning races — semi-finals
  1. Women's division
  2. Mixed divisions from lowest to highest
- Pink Ribbon Ceremony
- Afternoon races — finals
  1. Women's division
  2. Mixed divisions from lowest to highest
- Awards ceremony

Festival Team Divisions

Mixed – boat crew must be at least eight (8) paddlers of each gender, and no more than a maximum of 10 of each gender.
Women's – 250/500m course where the boat crew is all female with a steersperson and drummer of either gender.
- NOTE: if the Crew is qualifying for Dragon Boat Canada Club Crew or Nationals, the Steersperson and Drummer must be female.
Novice Challenge – 500m course for teams with a minimum of 8 first year paddlers.
Pink Ribbon Challenge – 500m course for teams where all paddlers are breast cancer survivors. Click here to learn more.
Youth – 500m course for mixed teams where the boat crew is under the age of eighteen (18) with a Steersperson and Drummer of any age.
- For 2025: Teams in the Youth Division may have up to four (4) adult paddlers in their boat crew to ensure there are 16 paddlers.

Ways to get involved in the festival!

Register as a Paddler

Looking to find your next team? Maybe you’re new and wanting to get started? Visit our find a team page to see what opportunities are available here in the Greater Edmonton Area.

Register Your Team for the Festival

To find out when registration is available for the upcoming year’s festival, visit our festival registration page to see applicable deadlines, costs, and payment methods available.
Are you wanting to start a new team? Check out this resource on how to start a team in the Greater Edmonton Area.

Sign Up as a Festival Volunteer

If you would like to volunteer at the an upcoming festival, check out our volunteers page for more information on how to get involved.

Sponsor the Festival

We are always on the search for new sponsors to support this annual event. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities for the Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival, please fill in our contact information form and a member of our team will be in touch for opportunities in 2025 and beyond.

- Check back soon for information regarding 2026.

ANNUAL FESTIVAL