Dragon boats move to Lakeside
The fourth-annual Montana Dragon Boat Festival will take place in Lakeside on Sept. 12-13. The Flathead County Board of Adjustments approved the move from Bigfork during an April 7 hearing.
Last year, the festival drew 1,825 paddlers and 3,500 spectators and generated an economic impact of $1.76 million to the Flathead Valley, according to the Institute for Tourism & Recreation Research at the University of Montana.
Founded in 2012 by the Kalispell Convention & Visitor Bureau, the Montana Dragon Boat Festival has become one of Montana’s signature events, attracting participants and spectators from across the U.S. and Canada.
Held annually in September on Flathead Lake, the festival hosts two days of competitive and recreational dragon boat racing, an ancient paddling sport with roots in China. Teams of 20 paddlers, a drummer and steersman race in 46-foot long dragon boats that feature a dragonhead at the bow and a dragon tail at the stern.
Organizers chose to move the festival from Bigfork to Lakeside this year to better accommodate growing crowds and to take advantage of favorable wave and wind conditions. The festival will be held at Lakeside’s Volunteer Park, which offers 190 feet of unobstructed Flathead Lake shoreline.
The festival grounds will spread along Lakeside Boulevard, accommodating vendors, teams and additional activities. Shops, restaurants and other attractions in Lakeside are within walking distance of Volunteer Park.
“We look forward to bringing this exciting, family-oriented event to our community for the first time,” said David Fetveit, president of the Lakeside-Somers Chamber of Commerce. “This is a great opportunity to share our community’s welcoming culture, wonderful amenities and stunning setting with thousands of visitors.”
Approval of the festival’s conditional use permit by the Flathead County Board of Adjustments followed extensive collaboration between festival organizers and community leaders in Lakeside to make sure the festival will run smoothly and safely with the least-possible impact on neighbors and traffic.
Registration is now open for teams to participate in the festival at www.MontanaDragonBoat.com. Teams do not need to provide their own boats or other equipment. For local teams new to the sport of dragon boat racing or looking to improve their skills, the Flathead Dragonflies Dragon Boat Club will conduct coaching sessions and team practices throughout the summer. The team can be contacted at flatheaddragonflies@gmail.com for more information.