Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival - Fairway Gorge Paddling Club

On behalf of Fairway Gorge Paddling Club, we welcome you to the 2025 Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival. We look forward to having you attend this annual event, the 22nd anniversary of the Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival!

There is a mixed division and a women’s division. Everyone is guaranteed 4 500M races, weather permitting. Note that the system for advancements is based on placement and time.

There is a set of 2 Breast Cancer Survivor’s Challenge Races as well as awards for top Survivor Challenge finishers overall.

This year we are happy to include both women’s and mixed Guts & Glory Challenges. Crews will begin the course in 15 second intervals. Overlap rules apply and time credits and penalties (and full disqualifications for penalties in excess of 10 seconds) will be enforced by water marshals. The fastest adjusted times in the mixed and women’s’ divisions win the Challenge!

Click here to register

Location: Nanaimo, BC, Canada – Nanaimo Harbour, Maffeo Sutton Park

July 12 and 13, 2025

Registration Fees

This weekend of 500 M racing includes Women’s and Mixed categories. Everyone is guaranteed 4 races, weather permitting.

Early Bird (until April 15, 2025): $1500 including GST
Early Bird (until April 15, 2025) for Breast Cancer Survivor crews: $1125 including GST
Regular (after April 15, 2025): $1800 including GST
Regular (after April 15, 2025) for Breast Cancer Survivor crews: $1350 including GST

Volunteers

We’re looking for people to do something great and volunteer at the Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival. Not only will you be helping to facilitate one of the island’s signature summer festivals, you’ll be an invaluable part of a summer event featuring athletes and spectators, beer gardens, music and more.

To become one of our valued volunteers, click here for more information and to sign up.

Site Map

Paddlers’ Village

Smoking and/or pets are not allowed within the Paddlers’ Village (guide dogs for the disabled or visually impaired ARE permitted). Please protect your belongings; the festival is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

Tents are available by pre-order at a rate of $100 (including staff set up and take down). Teams can bring their own tents if they want to avoid this cost.

Teams are not permitted to modify FGPC-owned tents in any way that permanently affects or damages their functionality. These tents are provided as a courtesy and are owned and maintained by FGPC, a non-profit society; please treat these tents with care.

**Note: For security and liability, only rostered participants (paddlers and non-paddlers) are permitted in the Paddlers Village. If you are travelling with children or companions please make prior arrangements for their supervision. FGPC and the Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival and associated volunteers and security personnel are not responsible for the loss, damage or theft of personal belongings.**

Accommodations

Coast Bastion Hotel

15 Coast King rooms at a rate of $269 per night.
Nelly Ele – n.ele@coasthotels.com

The Grand Hotel

5 Club Queen Rooms at $215 + tax
8 Deluxe Rooms at $225 + tax
6 Club Deluxe Rooms at $235 + tax
Contact: Humam Al-tekreeti humam@thegrandhotelnanaimo.ca

Dorchester Best Western

Guest rooms with 2 double beds $229 plus taxes
Guest rooms with 1 bed $209 plus taxes

The Best Western Dorchester Hotel is conveniently located right downtown near the bustling Nanaimo Harbour offering excellent views, in-room amenities, including a Keurig K Cup coffee maker with complimentary coffee and teas, minifridge.

We also offer pet friendly accommodations for travellers with pets in our designated pet-friendly rooms.

Including free high-speed Wi-Fi, complimentary parking, a well-equipped fitness centre.

We have 3 different restaurants on-site : Breakfast is open 9am to 10:30am at Top Notch Burger in the lobby. And also Gourmet burgers, wings, and casual eats in a lively lounge environment. Big screen TVs showing sports and a full bar with seating available. If you feel like dining at the view The View Oceanside Grill Casual fine dining restaurant overlooking the downtown waterfront offering upscale local seafood, meat, and pasta dishes. Embers Wine & Charcuterie here on Site for you Romantic, low-lit cellar offering artisan cheese, cured meats, and local seafood with an incredible selection of wines and handcrafted cocktails.

Contact: Pelin Polat – sales@dorchesternanaimo.com

Promotions

The Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival is pleased to offer paddlers coming from downtown Vancouver to Nanaimo significant savings with Hullo ferries.

20% across all fares and service levels – excludes parking and extra services.

Hullo is BC’s new passenger-only fast ferry service connecting you, downtown Vancouver to Nanaimo in only 70 minutes. With up to 14 daily sailings, super convenient downtown locations, and high-comfort modern vessels, we’ll have you traveling with ease. www.hullo.com

Discount: 20% off regular fare sailings, offer extends across all fare types and service levels, excluding applicable taxes, mandatory fees, and optional services (e.g. luggage).
Paddlers can use the promotional code “VIPADDLE” which will be live for travel between July 16-22, 2025
Group Bookings groupbookings@vifc.ca can support any group/team 10+.

Food Vendors

The festival will feature a wide variety of vendors including food truck, retail, and informational vendors. Click here to apply to be a vendor at this festival.

Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival Partners

Presented By

Gold Partners

Island Series

Silver Partners

Friends of the Festival

Berwick on the Lake
Precise Auto Repairs
Nanaimo Downtown Business Association
Old City Quarter Association
WoodGrove Mall
Steve Marshall Ford Lincoln
Tourism Nanaimo

Festival Cancellation/Refund Policy

There will be 25% administrative fee for all withdrawals. The final date to withdraw a team from the festival is June 21, 2025. There will be no refunds of any type after this date, including if the festival is cancelled due to safety reasons.