29th Annual
Pickering Dragon Boat Challenge
Bruce Hanscombe Park – May 31st & June 1st, 2025
Day 2 – Sunday, June 1st, 2025
The new and improved format introduced in 2024, is returning in 2025!
Saturday will now include:
- Recreational Mixed
- Recreational Women
- Community Mixed
- Sport Small Crew
- 24U-PS
Sunday will now include:
- All (standard) Sport Racing
- 24U-PS Mixed Combo
- Deca Dragons
- Youth Championships
** Please note: the only teams that will race on BOTH Saturday & Sunday are 24U-PS teams who register for the 24U-PS Mixed Combo. All other teams will only race on Saturday OR Sunday.
Day 2
A Dragon Boat Canada Race Series Event!
Sport divisions will follow all DBC race regulations including equal gender crew composition in the mixed division (10 male & 10 female paddlers).
Ontario’s first highly competitive dragon boat festival of the racing season expects to provide its usual sneak peek into the World’s fastest dragon boat club crews!
This new regatta format will feature all Sport Division racing on Sunday (including many robust 24U-PS teams), as well as a selection of beginner paddlers in the Deca Dragons Division and the Youth (formerly Highschool) Championships.
Prominent clubs expected to attend in the Sport Divisions the True North Paddling Club, Evolution Paddling Club, NDRC, Pickering Dragon Boat Club, and more.
For crews competing in the Sport Divisions, the unique and hugely popular Championship Point System will return. The fastest 10 Sport Mixed crews will compete in a series of 3 championship races: 200m, 500m and 2km in length. These crews will be trying to garner the most championship points and secure the overall points title. The winner will be awarded the Oikawa Cup and receive a free entry into the 2026 Pickering Dragon Boat Festival.
Event Details
Pickering Dragon Boat Challenge
Location
View site map and accomdations on the Location page.
Festival Parking
The Pickering Town Centre (mall) will operate as the parking location for the Pickering Dragon Boat Festival. From there, a FREE Shuttle Bus will transport athletes to the race site.
- There is no parking on-site (Bruce Handscombe Park)
- Police and City By-Law officers will be patrolling the area and will enforce all city parking by-laws
- Vehicles in violation of parking by-laws risk being tagged and/or towed
Please use the address of the Pickering Town Centre (1355 Kingston Road) and proceed to the south-east corner of the parking lot (entrance off of Pickering Parkway) to find the shuttle bus.
Shuttle Bus Service
- The Pickering Dragon Boat Festival provides FREE shuttle bus service from the Pickering Town Centre parking lot to the racecourse (please note that there is NO parking available near the race site).
- Please use the address 1355 Kingston Road to navigate to the Pickering Town Centre and use the south-east entrance (off of Pickering Parkway) to locate the shuttle service.
- Shuttle Bus Service will commence at 6:00am each day and will run every 15 minutes during peak arrival and departure times. The last bus on Saturday, May 31 will leave Bruce Hanscombe Park at 6:30pm and the last bus on Sunday, June 1, will leave the park at 6:30pm.
- Festival volunteers will be on-site to organize lineups according to the race schedule.
Pricing
| Category | # of Races | Before January 1 | Before April 1 | After April 1 |
| Sport Mixed Division | 3/4 | $1180.00 | $1280.00 | $1380.00 |
| Sport Women Division | 3/4 | $1180.00 | $1280.00 | $1380.00 |
| Sport Open Division | 3/4 | $1180.00 | $1280.00 | $1380.00 |
| *24U-PS/Mixed Combo | 6/7 | $1480.00 | $1580.00 | $1680.00 |
| Youth Challenge | 3 | $1080.00 | $1180.00 | $1280.00 |
| ** Youth Challenge Package | 3 | $1540.00 | $1640.00 | $1740.00 |
| ***Deca Dragons | 3 | $1280.00 | $1330.00 | $1480.00 |
| *** Steersperson Fee | $100.00 | $100.00 | $100.00 |
Details:
*24U-PS/Mixed Combo crews will race in the both the 24U-PS Division on Saturday and the Sport Mixed Division on Sunday. They are guaranteed 1 x 200m & 2 x 500m on Saturday, followed by a guaranteed 1 x 200m & 2 x 500m on Sunday, with the possibility of also racing in the 2000m final if placed in the top 10 Sport Mixed teams.
** Youth Challenge Package includes 5 practices on Frenchman’s Bay with a coach, plus your regatta fee.
*** The Deca Dragons Package is for beginner teams consisting of only 10 paddlers, with no gender make-up. This package includes 4 practices with a coach, team shirts and your regatta fee.
*** If your team requires a steersperson for the festival, an additional $100.00 fee will be charged. (Does not include teams who register through the Community Mixed Package)
To book practices, send an email to katy.dunlop@alkame.ca
Prices are listed in CAD and do not include tax.
Awards
Oikawa Cup: Sport Mixed Division
Medals will be awarded to first, second and third place teams.
Sport Women Division:
Medals will be awarded to first, second and third place teams.
Farintosh Cup: Sport Open Division
Medals will be awarded to first, second and third place teams.
Madill Cup: Youth Challenge Division
MMedals will be awarded to first, second and third place teams.
Deca Dragons Division
MMedals will be awarded to first, second and third place teams.
Schedule
Full schedule will be posted on Monday, May 26th, 2025
Race Format:
- All Sport teams will race 2 x 500m and 1 x 200m; the top 10 Mixed teams and the top 5 Women/Open teams will race in a 2000m final
- Youth teams will race 2 x 500m and 1 x 200m
- Deca Dragons teams will race 3 x 200m
Shuttle buses begin running to the park at 6:00am and the registration tent will open at 7:00am for team check-in. A team captain’s meeting will take place virtually on Thursday, May 29th (details to come). Marshalling for the first race at approximately 7:45am.
Vendors
Stay tuned for all of the exciting food, drink and merchandise vendors!
Are you interested in being a vendor at our event? We would love to have you!
Vendor fees are $200 (+HST) and all vendors receive:
- A 10x10 space in a prime area of the park
- Website & logo promotion on our Festival page
- Promotion through our team information bulletins
- The option to add a business card, promotional item or coupon to our team swag bags
Vendors who select to be Race Sponsors (for an additional $50) will also receive logo/website promotion on our race schedule (printed and online) and company promotion/announcements over the loud speaker throughout the festival.
*Please note: In order to best serve our participants, we reserve the right to turn down vendor applications if we feel as though the market is already covered in this area.
Volunteers
Are you interested in volunteering with us this year? The Alkame Festival Series is a great place to make friends, build new contacts, and gain work experience!
Come volunteer with us for a day! Enjoy a day outside where you will be helping the festival organizers with many possible tasks, including but not limited to:
- Setting up and taking down equipment
- Providing dock assistance
- Being a runner for the finish line
- Attending the parking lot
Volunteer opportunities are available in 4-hour time slots, and each volunteer will receive a shirt, lunch, AND students may also use these as high school volunteer hours (if approved by the school).
Pricing
| Category | # of Races | Before January 1 | Before April 1 | After April 1 |
| Sport Mixed Division | 3/4 | $1180.00 | $1280.00 | $1380.00 |
| Sport Open Division | 3/4 | $1180.00 | $1280.00 | $1380.00 |
| *24U-PS/Mixed Combo | 6/7 | $1480.00 | $1580.00 | $1680.00 |
| Youth Challenge | 3 | $1080.00 | $1180.00 | $1280.00 |
| ** Youth Challenge Package | 3 | $1540.00 | $1640.00 | $1740.00 |
| ***Deca Dragons | 3 | $1280.00 | $1330.00 | $1480.00 |
| *** Steersperson Fee | $100.00 | $100.00 | $100.00 |
Details:
*24U-PS/Mixed Combo crews will race in the both the 24U-PS Division on Saturday and the Sport Mixed Division on Sunday. They are guaranteed 1 x 200m & 2 x 500m on Saturday, followed by a guaranteed 1 x 200m & 2 x 500m on Sunday, with the possibility of also racing in the 2000m final if placed in the top 10 Sport Mixed teams.
** Youth Challenge Package includes 5 practices on Frenchman’s Bay with a coach, plus your regatta fee.
*** The Deca Dragons Package is for beginner teams consisting of only 10 paddlers, with no gender make-up. This package includes 4 practices with a coach, team shirts and your regatta fee.
*** If your team requires a steersperson for the festival, an additional $100.00 fee will be charged. (Does not include teams who register through the Community Mixed Package)
To book practices, send an email to katy.dunlop@alkame.ca
Prices are listed in CAD and do not include tax.
Location
View site map and accomdations on the Location page.
Festival Parking
The Pickering Town Centre (mall) will operate as the parking location for the Pickering Dragon Boat Festival. From there, a FREE Shuttle Bus will transport athletes to the race site.
- There is no parking on-site (Bruce Handscombe Park)
- Police and City By-Law officers will be patrolling the area and will enforce all city parking by-laws
- Vehicles in violation of parking by-laws risk being tagged and/or towed
Please use the address of the Pickering Town Centre (1355 Kingston Road) and proceed to the south-east corner of the parking lot (entrance off of Pickering Parkway) to find the shuttle bus.
Shuttle Bus Service
- The Pickering Dragon Boat Festival provides FREE shuttle bus service from the Pickering Town Centre parking lot to the racecourse (please note that there is NO parking available near the race site).
- Please use the address 1355 Kingston Road to navigate to the Pickering Town Centre and use the south-east entrance (off of Pickering Parkway) to locate the shuttle service.
- Shuttle Bus Service will commence at 6:00am each day and will run every 15- minutes during peak arrival and departure times. The last bus on Saturday, May 31st will leave Bruce Hanscombe Park at 8:00pm and the last bus on Sunday, June 1st, will leave the park at 6:00pm.
- Festival volunteers will be on-site to organize lineups according to the race schedule.
Schedule
Full schedule will be posted on Monday, May 26th, 2025
Race Format:
- All Sport teams will race 2 x 500m and 1 x 200m; the top 10 Mixed teams and the top 5 Women/Open teams will race in a 2000m final
- Youth teams will race 2 x 500m and 1 x 200m
- Deca Dragons teams will race 3 x 200m
Shuttle buses begin running to the park at 6:00am and the registration tent will open at 7:00am for team check-in. A team captain’s meeting will take place virtually on Thursday, May 29th (details to come). Marshalling for the first race at approximately 7:45am.
Awards
Oikawa Cup: Sport Mixed Division
Medals will be awarded to first, second and third place teams.
Sport Women Division:
Medals will be awarded to first, second and third place teams.
Farintosh Cup: Sport Open Division
Medals will be awarded to first, second and third place teams.
Madill Cup: Youth Challenge Division
MMedals will be awarded to first, second and third place teams.
Deca Dragons Division
MMedals will be awarded to first, second and third place teams.
Vendors
Stay tuned for all of the exciting food, drink and merchandise vendors!
Are you interested in being a vendor at our event? We would love to have you!
Vendor fees are $200 (+HST) and all vendors receive:
- A 10x10 space in a prime area of the park
- Website & logo promotion on our Festival page
- Promotion through our team information bulletins
- The option to add a business card, promotional item or coupon to our team swag bags
Vendors who select to be Race Sponsors (for an additional $50) will also receive logo/website promotion on our race schedule (printed and online) and company promotion/announcements over the loud speaker throughout the festival.
*Please note: In order to best serve our participants, we reserve the right to turn down vendor applications if we feel as though the market is already covered in this area.
Volunteers
Are you interested in volunteering with us this year? The Alkame Festival Series is a great place to make friends, build new contacts, and gain work experience!
Come volunteer with us for a day! Enjoy a day outside where you will be helping the festival organizers with many possible tasks, including but not limited to:
- Setting up and taking down equipment
- Providing dock assistance
- Being a runner for the finish line
- Attending the parking lot
Volunteer opportunities are available in 4-hour time slots, and each volunteer will receive a shirt, lunch, AND students may also use these as high school volunteer hours (if approved by the school).
Registration
Questions?
Questions about this event? Need some help with registering? Send an email to katy.dunlop@alkame.ca