The countdown is on for the inaugural Vancouver Island Dragon Boat Festival, which will not only provide a new competitive experience for paddlers, but a wide variety of food and entertainment options for spectators.

Scheduled for Aug. 6 and 7 in the Selkirk waterfront area of Victoria, the festival is part of the Fairway Gorge Paddling ClubB次元官网网址檚 Island Race Series and is expected to become its anchor event.

Besides providing a destination for locals looking for a way to enjoy some family time, the festival will draw hundreds of people to town and provide a boost to the local economy.

The races will feature the traditional 500-metre course as well as a 100-metre B次元官网网址渒nock-out challengesB次元官网网址� sprint course.

A new challenge, a 500-metre flag relay championship, also promises to test the mettle of paddlers, stroke seats and drummers alike.

Off the water, the festivalB次元官网网址檚 entertainment lineup includes popular B次元官网网址�60s tribute band BackBeat; the Latin music of renowned local jazz pianist Pablo Cardenas; high-energy rock, soul and funk band The Prowl; the student and professional R&B musician mix of The Midnights; and an appearance by the young strummers of Island Ukuleles, whose members have been delighting audiences at home and abroad for more than three decades. Cultural performances will be offered by the Lekwungen Traditional Dancers, a Bollywood-flavoured bhangra dance ensemble, the Fiesta Latina Folklore Dancers, the Lin Hua Chinese Dancers, Lion Dancers from the Wong Sheung Hung Fut Kung Fu Club, the Polynesian-inspired Pearls of the South Pacific music and dance group, the Sampaguita Performing Arts Group from the Victoria Filipino Canadian Association and the ever-popular Uminari Taiko Drummers collective, whose members take inspiration from the roaring sea itself.

Along the waterfront area, attendees will find food trucks featuring various kinds of ethnic and North American specialties, as well as displays from a number of local non-profits, cultural groups and merchants.

For full details about the weekend, visit fgpaddle.com/races/fgpc-db-races/vidbf.

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