Festival FAQs

When is the Festival?

The 2012 Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival will be held on Sunday August 5, 2012 from 8am to 5pm. It's a day filled with dragon boat racing, spirit, music, dance, food, and fun. Get ready for community teams and  breast cancer survivor teams to paddle their hearts out for charity.  All our events are alcohol free and smoke free.

Why is the Festival held?

The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival is all about the community coming together to raise money for charity. In these tough economic times we all need to reach deep in our hearts to support the people in our community who really need our help. This year Dragonheart Vermont is raising money to support Suriviorship NOW. Surivorship NOW provides cancer survivors with resources, tools, and support to enhance their recovery after their medical treatment is completed.

Who Benefits from the Festival Proceeds?

What happens at Sunday’s dragon boat festival?

Starting at 7:30am, the breast cancer survivors will kick off the festival with the first 300-meter race of the day. The first and second heats of the community teams will follow. Five teams will load up at the Community Boat Launch while five boats race. A race will go off every 12 minutes, with some scheduled breaks to award the winning teams. Spectators will be lined up all along the waterfront to take part in the excitement.

Look for the finals of our Breast Cancer Survivor Challenge Cup shortly before noon. At the conclusion of this race, the boats will link together in a traditional Flower Ceremony to honor those who have died from breast cancer.

The top 25 teams will then vie for cups—Granite Cup, Pewter Cup, Bronze Cup, and Silver Cup. The Final Five teams, the best teams of the day, will vie for the Citizens Bank Champ Cup.  An Awards Ceremony will conclude the festival. Bring friends, family, lawn chairs, and plan on a rousing day!

What will be happening at Waterfront Park during the Festival?

Loads of fun! There will be entertainment throughout the day with performances every half hour. There will be drummers, music, dancers, singers, plus activities for children. Delicious food and treats will be available from  local vendors. It’s a non-alcoholic, non-smoking family event.

Can anyone paddle a dragon boat?

Absolutely! Almost anyone can paddle a dragon boat after a short lesson. The sport calls to all ages, genders, and skill levels. It is the ultimate team sport with synchronization being the key element. It is not how strong or athletic you are, it is how well you can paddle in sync with your team members. All 20 paddlers work together to paddle in perfect unison to propel the boat forward. Just feel the glide!!!!

How many people are in a dragon boat?

There are 20 paddlers who sit two by two with a drummer who sits on the front of the boat. Most teams are a mix of men and women. All teams must have a minimum of eight (8) women paddlers and a drummer. There may be more than eight (8) women, but not less. The last essential person in the boat is the steersperson in the back. The steersperson is a professional provided to each team by the race committee. He/she will guide the teams throughout the practices and races.

How old do I have to be to paddle in the races?

You need to be at least sixteen (16) years of age or older to participate in the races.

How long will the race be?

Our Lake Champlain Dragon Boat race course will be about 300 meters long. The race is fast and furious. It will last less than two minutes! You can bet that the races will be fast, thrilling, and memorable for all.

What does it cost to race in the Lake Champlain Dragon Festival?

The cost for an entire team to paddle in the festival is $1617 per boat. Each team member gets a chance to paddle in at least two races, and a chance to vie for the Divisional Cup for your team. Each member also receives a souvenir T- shirt, a hat, and a medal. You get as much as you give!

How do I register a team?

Get 21 of your friends, family, or co-workers together and sign up your team! It's 20 paddlers and 1 drummer to follow the tradition. Click here to go to the team registration page and follow the instructions. It’s that easy! Hurry because we sell out fast!

Do I need to bring any equipment to race?

No. Boats, paddles, PFDs, everything you need are all included in your race fees. All you need to bring is a smile!

Do I get to practice dragon boating before the Festival?

Sure you will! Dragonheart Vermont will be providing you with a free practice session where you and your teammates will get a paddling lesson. We have set aside the weekend of July 21 - 22 for the practices so mark your calendars. Team Captains will choose a time when they register from the time slots available. What a great team building experience it will be.

Are my team race fees tax-deductible?

The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival is run under the auspices of Dragonheart Vermont, a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization.

Please note that your race fees for The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival are race fees, not a charitable contribution or donation. For your race fees, you receive a team shirt, hat, medal, 2-3 races, possible trophies, and a coached practice session.

All donations above and beyond your race fee are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. All donations above and beyond your race fee will be acknowledged.  Please keep this acknowledgement for your tax records.

Are my team donations tax deductible?

The Lake Champlain Dragon Boat Festival is run under the auspices of Dragonheart Vermont, a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization.  Our Federal I.D. # is: 20-1199994.

All donations (above and beyond race fees - see above) are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. All donations will be acknowledged. Please keep this acknowledgement for your tax records.