Cornwall, ON – The Cornwall Waterfest Dragon Boat races will be returning to the Cornwall Canal this summer for its 11th annual event.
The festival takes place on this weekend, Saturday, August 13th at the historic Cornwall Canal, located at Power Dam Drive and Second Street West in Cornwall, Ontario. While the dragon boat races are a main attraction, the event also features a unique market of local artisans and vendors, along with a selection of delicious food vendors for festival-goers to grab a bite to eat.
A team is made up of 20 paddlers and a drummer who helps keep the team in sync.
“The nice thing about our race course is that it is held in a calm, sheltered canal, and is approximately 200 metres in length,” says Cornwall Watefest Committee Chair, Lea Emard. “This makes it very accessible to beginning paddlers, but also offers a challenge for experienced teams that want to put their skills to the test. Teams can choose to enter the recreational, competitive, or ladies division. All local teams will be offered a practice session to help get them in form before race day and are guaranteed three races at the event.”
Lively music and various food and craft vendors will be onsite to keep participants and spectators energized and fueled throughout the day. Again this year, Hospice Cornwall will be the partner charity of the event. Teams are encouraged to raise pledge funds or contributions for this very worthy organization that provides compassionate end-of-life care at a most challenging time. There will also be a 50/50 draw and a silent auction with 100% of the fundraising initiatives going to Hospice Cornwall.
“It takes a lot of work to organize this annual event, and I am so thankful to the hardworking Cornwall Waterfest Committee for their effort and dedication,” adds Emard. “We are in need of some energetic, community-minded volunteers for race day. If you can pitch in for a half or full day, or even a few hours to assist in making the event run smoothly, we would be grateful for the help.”
Spectators are welcome and entry to the site is free.
For more information on the event, including how to register a team, sign up as a vendor, or join as a volunteer, please visit www.cornwallwaterfest.com or email cornwallwaterfest@gmail.com.
See you on the canal, Dragons!
