OPINION: Breathing new life into the Dragon Boat Festival
Every year I go into the Montana Dragon Boat Festival feeling excited with a touch of nervousness. Will the weather cooperate? Will everything come together as planned? Are we prepared for the number of people who will show up to paddle and watch the races? Will visitors have a good time and mark their calendars to come back next year?
As the primary organizers of the popular annual September festival, we at the Kalispell Convention & Visitor Bureau do our best to plan and prepare. But when it comes down to the weekend of the races, we can’t do it all.
The success of the festival relies largely on the efforts of volunteers and sponsors from around the Flathead Valley as well as the support of the host community.
This year’s festival, which took place Sept. 12–13, was arguably the most successful yet. A total of 1,300 paddlers were joined by more than 2,000 spectators who gathered to cheer both friends and competitors. Traffic never snarled, parking was ample, and it seemed like the entire community of Lakeside came out in support of the event.
That success is a testament to the more than 175 volunteers from across the Flathead Valley who showed up to help out. It is impossible to fully express our gratitude for the remarkable support this event received this year. Thank you to each and every volunteer for helping make this a unique, welcoming and fun event.
Although the festival is now in its fourth year, I found myself feeling this year like we were starting new in some ways. As you probably know, this was our first year holding races in Lakeside. That meant all-new logistical considerations such as how to maximize efficient traffic flow in the parking area, where to locate vendors and portable restrooms — the list goes on and on. It also meant building awareness and engaging a new community in the planning and execution of this major event.
Going into the event, we knew paddlers and spectators who experienced the races in Bigfork might have some reservations about the change of location. Would Lakeside offer the same beautiful experience of Montana’s most scenic lake? Would the viewing opportunities for races be better?
Would they ever! In the wake of the races, we’ve been pleased to hear compliment after compliment from participants and visitors. As a paddler who came to the races from California wrote on our Facebook page: “Great festival, great people, great paddling, thank you for a fabulous experience!”
While we aimed to prepare for every possibility, we did meet some surprises this year. One concern raised by some Lakeside businesses was the relatively low number of festivalgoers who left the festival grounds to explore, dine and shop in the community. We will continue to work with the community and volunteers to find creative ways to address this challenge moving forward.
As I looked out across the clear waters of Flathead Lake at the dragon boats during this year’s festival, I found my mind turning to another colorful, mythical beast — the phoenix. Every year — and especially this one — the Montana Dragon Boat Festival is reborn. That rebirth happens due to the many people who care about the event’s core purpose: To bring our valley and visitors together for a weekend of connection, competition and fundraising.
From all of us at the Kalispell Convention & Visitor Bureau and Chamber of Commerce, thank you.
Diane Medler is director of the Kalispell Convention & Visitor Bureau.