Skaha Lake Park will be bustling with thousands of racers and spectators taking part in the Penticton Dragon Boat Festival this weekend.
The event is open to the public and residents are invited to join in the action and cheer on the boats. The festival also includes food trucks, a vendors’ market and beverage garden.
This year’s event includes around 1,500 athletes and 65 dragon boats travelling here from as far away as Manitoba for races on Saturday, Sept. 7 and Sunday, Sept. 8. For event information, visit pentictonpaddlesports.com.
Plan for extra congestion in the area and anticipate busy parking lots. Boaters are encouraged to use launches in Kaleden and Okanagan Falls as the boat trailer parking at Skaha will be very limited this weekend. There will be no day use beach parking for boats available at Skaha Lake Park on Saturday or Sunday.
More details about boat launches can be found at penticton.ca/boat-launch.
More upcoming events
Pentastic Hot Jazz & Music Festival (Sept. 6-8): Three days of live music, spanning multiple venues. pentasticjazz.ca
SummerCamp Rib & Music Fest (Sept. 13-15): Ribfest cranks it up a notch, with outdoor games, live performances, a beverage garden, vendors and more. summercampfestival.ca
Vancouver Canucks Young Stars Classic (Sept. 13-16): See the stars of tomorrow take to home ice to test their skills against prospects from the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets. penticton.ca/young-stars
Canucks Training Camp (Sept. 19-22): Watch the Canucks on the ice at the South Okanagan Events Centre. Tickets are available starting today. nhl.com/canucks
Canadian Outrigger Distance Championships (Sept. 28-29): Outrigger racing returns to Okanagan Lake, attracting teams from far and wide. pentictonpaddlesports.com