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CANCELLED – Beavertails Ottawa Ice Dragon Boat Festival
February 4 @ 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
The BeaverTails Ottawa Ice Dragon Boat Festival is the world’s largest ice dragon boat race with over 1,200 athletes from the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, India and more. The sold out festivities take place on February 3-4, 2023 on the Rideau Canal Skateway at Dow’s Lake. Practices take place throughout the day Friday, with a special race, the ODBF Shiver ‘N Giver Fundraising Race, under the lights Friday evening in support of ODBF, and then on Saturday, over 100 teams will compete for fun and championship glory.
Competitors will thrill visitors to the National Capital Region and Winterlude by racing along the frozen surface of the World’s Largest Skating Rink. Boats are equipped with skate-like blades and participants propel themselves along the 100-meter racecourse using spiked ice-picks, to the audience’s delight.
The festival’s spectacular free indoor concert series “Live @ The Rainbow” will warm things up February 3- 20 at Ottawa’s legendary live music hall, The Rainbow Bistro, with an eclectic array of performances from great Canadian acts. The exciting line-up includes performances by Amanda Rheaume, Barry & the Blasters, Craig Cardiff, The Commotions, Emma Lamontagne, Faux Confessions, Frown Line, HOROJO, ISØBEL, JW-Jones, The Lionyls, Lynne Hanson, Main Street Revival, Mikhail Laxton, Moonfruits, Okies, The Peptides, Pony Girl, Rebelle, Rory Taillon, School House, Stoby, Taming Sari, Twin Flames and We Were Sharks.
Highlights will also include cultural heritage displays at the official race venue, HMCS Carleton, from Success Dragon Lion Dancers, Indigenous Experiences: Drum Group and First Nation Dancers, Chinese Canadian Children’s Choir of Canada and more. The official opening ceremony, which takes place Friday evening, includes the centuries old tradition of the mythological eye-dotting ritual which breathes fire into the ice dragon boat festival, to officially awaken the spirit of the dragon.
DOW’S LAKE / HMCS CARLETON EVENT SCHEDULE:
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2023
• 10:00 AM PRACTICE RACES & DEMONSTRATIONS
• 5:15 PM TEAM CAPTAINS MEETING *HMCS CARLETON
• 5:45 PM OPENING CEREMONY: SUCCESS DRAGON LION DANCERS
• 6:00 PM OPENING CEREMONY: CHINESE CANADIAN CHILDREN’S CHOIR OF CANADA
• 6:30 PM OPENING CEREMONY: INDIGENOUS EXPERIENCES: DRUM GROUP AND FIRST NATION DANCERS
• 7:00 PM ODBF SHIVER & GIVER FUNDRAISING RACES
• 7:30 PM AWARDS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2023
• 9:00 AM RACING: BEGINS
• TBD BREAST CANCER SURVIVOR CEREMONIAL RACE
• 5:00 PM FINALS
• 5:30 PM CLOSING AWARDS CEREMONY
