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, HOROJOISØBEL, 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

“LIVE @ THE RAINBOW” FREE INDOOR CONCERT SERIES SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2023

  • 8:00 PM MAIN STREET REVIVAL
  • 9:30 PM THE COMMOTIONS

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2023

  • 8:00 PM STOBY
  • 9:30 PM REBELLE

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2023

  • 8:00 PM OKIES
  • 9:30 PM AMANDA RHEAUME

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2023

  • 8:00 PM ISØBEL
  • 9:30 PM THE PEPTIDES

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2023

  • 8:00 PM MIKHAIL LAXTON
  • 9:30 PM LYNNE HANSON

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2023

  • 8:00 PM TAMING SARI
  • 9:30 PM WE WERE SHARKS

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2023

  • 8:00 PM CRAIG CARDIFF
  • 9:30 PM MOONFRUITS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2023

  • 8:00 PM SCHOOL HOUSE
  • 9:30 PM THE LIONYLS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2023

  • 8:00 PM TWIN FLAMES

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2023

  • 8:00 PM PONY GIRL
  • 9:30 PM FROWN LINE

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2023

  • 8:00 PM EMMA LAMONTAGNE
  • 9:30 PM RORY TAILLON

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2023

  • 8:00 PM BARRY & THE BLASTERS

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2023

  • FAUX CONFESSIONS

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2023

  • 8:00 PM HOROJO
  • 9:30 PM JW-JONES

ABOUT: BEAVERTAILS OTTAWA ICE DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL

The BeaverTails Ottawa Ice Dragon Boat Festival is the largest ice dragon boat race in the world and a highlight of Winterlude. The event provides an East-meets-West experience that honours the roots of dragon boating as a Chinese sport and combines it with Canadian winter sport culture.

The Festival was Winner of the 2018 Ottawa Tourism Award for New Company of the Year and hosted the 1st IIDBF World Club Crew Ice Dragon Boat Championships in 2019.

ABOUT: BEAVERTAILS OTTAWA INCORPORATED

BeaverTails Ottawa Incorporated (“BTO”) is owned by Grant and Pam Hooker along with their partner and Chief Executive Officer, Andy Cullen. BTO owns the Master Franchise rights, granted by BeaverTails Canada Inc., a company founded 42 years ago, and still partially owned by the Hookers. That company has grown to 160 BeaverTail outlets worldwide. Its namesake products are whole-wheat pastries, individually hand stretched to resemble a beaver’s tail. The chain originated in Killaloe, Ontario in 1978 and opened its first permanent store in Ottawa in 1980.

ABOUT: INTERNATIONAL ICE DRAGON BOAT FEDERATION
International Ice Dragon Boat Federation (IIDBF) is the official organization of ice dragon boat sports, which is dedicated to the spread and development of ice dragon boat sport worldwide. IIDBF has published constitutions, articles, racing rules and regulations as well as racing technical specifications for international ice dragon boat races. The IIDBF is currently soliciting members.
For more information visit iidbf.org

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