The 2020 Lake Bemidji Dragon Boat Festival scheduled for July 29th through August 1st has been canceled due to COVID-19.

The festival is a tradition and started in 2006. The festival is put on by the Bemidji Area Chamber of Commerce and the Bemidji Rotary Club to give back to local businesses in town.

“We kept hope that we would be able to hold the festival but with social distancing guidelines expected to still be in place at the time of our event which is now just 8 weeks away, it is time to make the difficult decision to cancel for this year so all involved can be notified well in advance,” said Scott Turn, Lake Bemidji Dragon Boat Festival Co-Chair.

Next year’s festival dates are set for August 4-7, 2021, and all team registration fees that have been paid will be refunded in full.

By — Destiny Wiggins