Paddles Up! Dragon Boat Practices Are Underway

For 13 years the phrase “paddles up” has become a signature term at the annual Lake Bemidji Dragon Boat Festival. Each evening this week, teams will gather to get some much needed practice before race day this coming Saturday.

Each dragon boat team is given two practice time slots. For many, these practice sessions will be their only opportunity to find their rhythm.

For this practice session, many of its participants haven’t been in a dragon boat since the last years festival. For many groups it’s a great team building experience.

But when it all comes down to it, the Dragon Boat Festival is all about having fun. For team captains, having only two practices is no big deal.

But you don’t need a team to paddle, anyone that wants to try it out is welcome to sign up!

With a week full of activities, dragon boat organizers hope that it will be another for the record books.

If you would like to paddle on a dragon boat team, follow this link:https://bemidjidragonboat.com/ or you can check in at the registration tent behind the Carnegie Library.