Steveston Dragon Boat Festival

The second of two major dragon boat race events in Metro Vancouver each year, the Richmond Dragon Boat Festival takes place in Steveston Village in August.

Formerly known as the Steveston Dragon Boat Festival, the event changed its name to the Richmond Dragon Boat Festival in 2023. It usually takes place in August, but in 2026 it’s happening on Saturday, September 12th.

This article contains the following information about the festival:

Dragon Boat Racing in Steveston Village

The regatta is a one-day festival that happens towards the end of summer. It typically happens right around the same time as the Richmond Maritime Festival. In fact, last year it happened on the same weekend!

While the dates for the 2026 Maritime Festival are to be confirmed as of the beginning of January, the Dragon Boat Festival is happening on September 12th.

Another similar event is the much larger Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival which is a three-day event (although that one is cancelled for 2026 due to the FIFA World Cup happening at the same time). The Vancouver festival happens at False Creek near Science World in June. There’s also the Harrison Dragon Boat Festival in July that takes place in a spectacular setting.

Dragon Boating Location

The Richmond Dragon Boat Festival takes place in Richmond‘s Steveston Village between the Britannia Heritage Shipyard and Imperial Landing. The Britannia Heritage Shipyard is located at 5180 Westwater Drive. Imperial Landing, meanwhile, is at 4000 Bayview Street further to the west.

Festival Schedule

Below was the schedule of events for the 2025 Steveston Dragon Boat Festival. 2026 details should be fairly similar, but are TBC.

9:00 am – Dragon Boat races begin
10:00 am – Food and market vendor stalls open
11:30 am – Main Stage entertainment begins
12:00 pm – Red Truck Patio/Beverage Service open
6:00 pm – Festival ends

Steveston Dragon Boat Festival

Entertainment Schedule

Every year there is live music and other entertainment on the main stage. Below was the schedule for 2025. For the most up-to-date details visit the Richmond Dragon Boat website.

11:30 am – Sichuan Face Changing Performances
12:00 pm – Coastal Wolf Pack
12:45 pm – Sichuan Face Changing Performances
1:00 pm – Hon Hsing Athletic Club Lion Dances
1:45 pm – Sichuan Face Changing Performances
2:00 pm – Hon Hsing Athletic Club Lion Dances
2:30 pm – Luc LeMans
3:00 pm – Sichuan Face Changing Performances
4:00 pm – Luc LeMans

Dragon Boat Racing Details

At the Steveston Dragon Boat Festival many teams compete in races that are 250 metres and 500 metres in distance. Each boat has about 20 paddlers plus a steerer and a drummer. Eighty teams competed last year.

The cost for participation in 2026 is $1,300 for women and co-ed teams, $1,050 for seniors and U24 teams, and $800 for juniors (of 12-18 years of age). A 10% early bird registration discount is available until March 31st.

Dragon Boat Paddlers

Tips & Advice

Below are some tips and suggestions to help you make the most of your visit to Steveston Village and the Richmond Dragon Boat Festival.

TIP #1: Parking is available starting at 7:00 am for race participants at the T Homma School. It’s right by the Britannia Heritage Shipyard at 5180 Westwater Drive. The cost is about $5 with proceeds going to the Richmond Food Bank. Spaces are limited so plan to carpool.

TIP #2: Steveston Village is a beautiful and very interesting place. There is a walking and cycling path that goes for miles all along the water. The Britannia Heritage Shipyard is itself a National Historic Site, as is the Gulf of Georgia Cannery located in the heart of Steveston Village. While you’re in the area, get out and explore!

TIP #3: Also taking place in Richmond on Saturday is the Richmond Night Market which costs around $5 and is located at 8351 River Road not far from the Bridgeport SkyTrain Station. Especially if you’ve never been, and you like markets, it’s worth checking out.

TIP #4: If you want to compete in the dragon boat racing, register well in advance as the event sells out well before race day.

Festival Video

The following video shows non-racing scenes of the Steveston Dragon Boat Festival from a couple of year ago.

Other Information

For further details about the regatta, see the Steveston Dragon Boat Festival website.

To learn about a related race in August in Vancouver, click Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival. For a similar event in July, see our article about the Harrison Dragon Boat Festival.

For information about the area see Steveston Village or Britannia Heritage Shipyard.

And for information on other major events in the Lower Mainland, see Vancouver’s August Calendar or Festivals & Events Calendar.