It’s Dragon Boat Month at the Barrie Public Library and we have lots of exciting programs, activities and events planned for you!
August 1 – 19: Little Paddlers Colouring Contest
Back by popular demand, Barrie Public Library and Tim Hortons have teamed up once again to bring back our annual Little Paddlers Colouring Contest in honour of our upcoming Dragon Boat Festival!
August 14 – 18 Dragon Week Programs
Our Children’s department has been busy putting together a very exciting week leading up to the 19th annual Barrie Dragon Boat Festival. Be sure to visit the library’s online program calendar or ask staff next time you’re in branch.
Below are some of our featured programs for the week:
Coupe Park No Dragons for Tea Party
Dragon Masters
Dragons Versus Unicorns
Saturday, August 19th – The 19th Annual Barrie Dragon Boat Festival presented by Tim Hortons
We are so excited for the return of the Barrie Dragon Boat Festival back to Kempenfelt Bay! Proudly hosted by the Barrie Public Library and presented by Tim Hortons, this will be the festival's 19th year bringing the community together through this fun and unique event.
This year’s festival takes place Saturday, August 19th at Heritage Park! Featuring close to 30 teams competing for a variety of challenge cups, we invite you to venture down to Heritage Park to watch as teams take to the starting line to race through the waves of Kempenfelt Bay! The first race is scheduled to begin just shortly after 7:30am.
In addition to the races, spectators are welcome to take to the event grounds where they can enjoy a hot beverage at the Tim Hortons tent ft. their ‘Fill the Cup for Future Branches Campaign’ – all proceeds raised will help support the Barrie Public Library’s plan for future branches throughout the city.
From 9am-2pm, the ‘BPL Discovery Area’, a family favourite, is returning along with a few fellow community organizations in the Tim Kids Zone. Here, patrons can enjoy a variety of family friendly activities and this year’s unique dragon themed craft provided by our friends at Moore Packaging. Library staff and volunteers will be onsite and ready to provide helpful information about our summer reading program as well as upcoming programs at your local branch!
Pack your water bottle to use at our refill station and feel free to bring a picnic to enjoy in the city’s beautiful Heritage Park. More fantastic local restaurants and businesses are just steps away!
Barrie Public Library would like to thank all our sponsors, community partners, volunteers, and vendors for supporting this year’s event! We look forward to a fun filled day by the bay!
Haven't seen a dragon boat race before? There are 20 paddlers to each boat, a drummer at the front that sets the rhythm, and a steersperson at the back that steers the boat. Each race takes approximately 2 and a half minutes from start to finish, and in that short time anything can happen! Four teams race at a time through several heats, determining the winners. It's an exciting day full of positive energy, excitement, and team spirit.