Reflecting on the Ottawa Ice Dragon Boat Festival and what it means for its sister summer festival
This year’s Ottawa Ice Dragon Boat Festival could be seen as a bit of a bust. With the cancellation of the popular races due to unfavorable weather conditions that left the world-famous Rideau Canal unsafe for winter recreational use for the first time in its history, it was yet another layer of disappointment to both the February festival and the citizens of Ottawa.
What shined through, however, was the continuation of the equally important free concert series the festival is renowned for in both its winter and summer iterations; and with its impressive Live @ The Rainbow series that saw 25 Ottawa artists perform over the three weekends in February, it was hard to allow the winter blues to take over.
“The 2023 festival was planned during the pandemic and much of what we’ve just experienced was initially intended to be the 2022 edition of the event prior to its cancellation,” explained Antony Cooper, Director of Operations at the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival. He then goes on to explain that the decision to hold the festival at the Rainbow Bistro came out of a campaign to save the venue after it was originally announced that it would be permanently closing its doors during the pandemic, and by holding the festival at the Rainbow was part of the revitalization.
“Music, art, and sport are all part of a healthy, vibrant community and our festival, and this partnership with the legendary Rainbow is a reflection of that,” said Cooper.
The three-week-long festival also allowed Ottawa music fans to reconnect with the area’s extraordinarily diverse talent. From the popular Indigenous duo, Twin Flames, to the bright and theatrical Peptides, to the loud and brash We Were Sharks, at some point during the month of February, there was something for everyone at the Rainbow Bistro.
One of the busiest nights of the festival came on February 18, which hosted a double-set by premiere Ottawa-Gatineau blues band, Barry and The Blasters. In a quick interview between sets, bandleader and guitarist, Barry Bickerton, you could hear his excitement for the bustling live audience
“Many people here tonight are here seeing us and hearing us for the first time. And as you’ve seen, they’re having a ball out there,” he says. When asked about the challenges his band faced during the pandemic, he says that, on top of not being able to rehearse due to restrictions and internet lag, the band lost their original drummer, Tim Leah, to cancer.
“Coming out and being part of the festival like this, it just honestly feels like a breath of fresh air. It’s an enormous lift for us as a band, getting that energy back from the crowd, as we have all night tonight.”
With the weather forecast favouring a beautiful summer start for the Nation’s Capital, the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival will take the stage this weekend at Mooney’s Bay along the Rideau River and will continue its spotlight of local artists with Rebelle, Alanna Sterling, the Gladsome Gentlemen, and the New Hires; all while including spectacular performances by Canadian favourites Dear Rouge, Tim Baker and Bedouin Soundclash. While Cooper says that they’re looking forward to bringing sponsors, such as BeaverTails, Beyond The Pale, Live 88.5 FM, and Windmill, forward to the festival, what fans can truly expect is “great music, delicious food, non-stop racing, and a fabulous sense of community!”