Dragon boats row in nearly $1 million
The Montana Dragon Boat Festival produced a $955,000 economic impact, according to a survey by the University of Montana Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research, aiding both the local Lakeside and Flathead Valley economies.
The two-day September event drew 1,220 paddlers and an additional 1,500 spectators, according to the Kalispell Convention and Visitor Bureau. Teams from California, Minnesota and Canada made the trip to the fourth annual Dragon Boat Festival event that was held in Lakeside for the first time.
The festival will return to Lakeside next year.
“The community of Lakeside welcomed the dragon boat teams with open arms and we received an overwhelming amount of feedback from attendees on how much they loved the festival atmosphere the community created and the beautiful venue on Flathead Lake,” said Diane Medler, director of the Kalispell Convention and Visitor Bureau.
The Dragon Boat Festival was one of four major events sponsored by the Convention and Visitor Bureau this year that in total produced more than $6.7 million in economic benefits.
According to the University of Montana institute survey, the local economy gained $632,613 from the Montana Pond Hockey Classic; $4,141,228 from the annual Spartan Race; $1,009,283 from the high school rodeo championships and $955,431 from the Dragon Boat Festival, for a total $6,738,555.
The number of dragon-boat teams was down from 73 to 63 this year, but Medler said in September that a time conflict for teams with a race in British Columbia could have been a proponent of the decrease.
The bureau reportedly received hundreds of positive comments from participants through anonymous intercept surveys compiled by the Institute of Tourism and Recreation Research. According to the institute, 86 percent of survey respondents said they would return to the festival next year.
The festival benefited several local nonprofits and community groups, including the Flathead Community Foundation, Crown of the Continent Community Choir, Somers Town Project, Youth with a Mission and Save A Sister.
The 2016 Montana Dragon Boat Festival will return to Volunteer Park in Lakeside on Sept. 10 and 11. Registration is now open at MontanaDragonBoat.com.