Toronto International Dragon Boat Race Festival June 15th & 16th, 2024

LOCATION

Address:  The event will take place on Centre Island, the Toronto Islands.

Site Map: Click here for the 2024 TIDBRF Site Map.

Passenger Ferry to Centre Island: Please refer to the "Travel" section for further details. 

Park Rules: We're committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for participants and spectators. Before heading out to the races, there are some things you should know:

Pets are welcome on the Toronto Islands but should be leashed at all times. No BBQ grills and/or cooking devices are allowed on park grounds. No bottled water will be sold or distributed under the Bottled Water Ban in City of Toronto parks.

Teams are responsible for picking up their waste within their team sites.  Teams will receive waste bags during check-in and there will be waste bins located throughout the Athletes' Village.  Let's all work together to keep the Toronto Islands clean and green.

Medical Services: Medical services and first aid will be available on site. If you're in need of medical attention, please report to the medical tent for immediate assistance. Toronto Police officers will also be on-site patrolling the grounds.

SCHEDULE

To view the 2024 Saturday Race Schedule, click here. (updated as of June 11, 7:30pm)

To view the 2024 Sunday Race Schedule, click here. (updated as of June 15, 10:40pm)

At least 3 teams must be registered in a division. Any division with less than 3 teams registered will be amalgamated into the next closest racing division offered. 

To ensure races run smoothly, smaller divisions may be combined in heats but will race independently of each other.

Industry Cup Races

To qualify for a Cup race, at least 70% of the crew must be part of the same company or industry.

Live Results 

Get live race results and progressions on race day using your phone. Visit www.gwnresults.com

Schedule Advancement

500m Races: For all crews, Saturday will consist of 2 x 500m time trials. These two races will seed teams into a 200m Final and 500m Semi-Final. The 500m Semi-Final will seed teams into a 500m Final. Semi-Finals and Finals are held on Sunday.

200m Races: For open and women's teams, they will have a 200m race on Saturday.  For Industry Cup races and all remaining mixed teams , they will have their 200m race on Sunday morning. 

Race Marshaling
Marshaling for races will begin promptly half an hour before the first race of the day. Teams must be in the Marshalling area 30 minutes before their scheduled race throughout the day.

Race Day Check-In
Every Team Captain must check-in their team at Race Headquarters (located on the race site) on race day. Registration will be open at approximately 7:00AM. All waivers must be completed prior to check-in. Please visit the FAQ section for more information on how to check in on race day.

For a speedy check-in, ensure that all waivers for your team are completed. The electronic waiver deadline is 11:59AM EST on Wednesday, June 12th. Online access to waivers will be restricted after the deadline, after which only paper copies will be accepted on Saturday morning.

Team Captain's Meeting
This year due to time constraints on Saturday morning, there will no Captain's Meeting on-site. A Team Captain's Meeting document will be shared with all Captains and Participants to review race day rules. Any questions may be sent to: info@gwnevents.com. 

AWARDS

Mixed, Women's, Open Final races, and Industry Cup / 200M races: The top three teams of all Premier Mixed, Open and Women's 500m divisional final races will be presented with awards at the Athletes' Stage as soon as their races are completed.  The winner of the industry cup and 200m divisional final races will be presented with awards as soon as each race is completed.

Junior Final Championship Races:  The top three teams teams in the Junior Championship Final races will be presented with awards as soon as each race is completed on Saturday.

VENDORS

Marketplace:

Food Vendors:

• Island Grill GTA
• Super Smash Juice

Interested in being a vendor? Email us at info@gwnevents.com to find out more.

PARKING

There are no public vehicles allowed on Toronto Island. There are various paid parking lots in the area surrounding the Jack Layton Ferry Terminal.

PASSENGER FERRY:
Jack Layton Ferry Terminal
9 Queens Quay W, Toronto, ON M5J 2H3
(at the foot of Bay Street at Queens Quay)

Ferry Schedule (Reduced Times):

The City of Toronto has limited their summer ferry schedule. Due to these limitations, you may experience longer delays at both the ferry dock in Toronto and on the Island. It will be helpful to plan ahead by pre-purchasing your ferry ticket online and/or consider the use of water taxis to get on and off the Island.

The capacity of the ferry to Centre Island is approximately 900 people. It is highly recommended for all participants to take the first two - three ferries of each morning.

On June 15^th and 16^th: Ferry service to Centre Island will begin at 8:00AM and depart once it is fully loaded.

Ferry service to Ward's Island (walk to Race Site is approximately 25-30min) will begin at 6:30AM, 7:00AM, 7:30AM, 8:10AM (following regular schedule).  

Please click here for the full ferry service schedule. 

Ferry Tickets:
Ferry tickets should be purchased online and are valid from the date of purchase to the end of the calendar year and include the return trip. To check the ferry schedule and acquire tickets to get your team to Centre Island, click here**. 

Pricing is subject to change, please refer to rates posted on Toronto Island Ferry Tickets website.

Purchasing 10 or more tickets will qualify your order for a 10% discount (please note for any group ticket purchases, all passengers must be present with the individual who purchased the tickets).

PIRATE TAXI WATER SERVICE 

Special Rate for Participants:

TIDBRF has negotiated a special offer with the Pirate Taxi water taxi service for all dragon boat teams racing at the Festival.

Pirate Taxi normal operating hours on weekends are 9:00 am to Midnight, but they have offered to have boats available as early as 6:00AM. Information will be shared with all captains and participants with the special rate, booking instructions, etc.

https://www.piratetaxi.ca/
416-838-8294
info@piratetaxi.ca

Looking to have some fun on the docks? GWN is always looking for fantastic volunteers.

As a volunteer, you'll have the opportunity to be a part of the exciting and fast-paced action that is dragon boat racing. You'll also get to experience the energy and excitement of the festival event atmosphere and be a part of a vibrant community of dragon boat enthusiasts. Volunteers will be needed to help with various tasks in ensuring the safety and smooth operations of the event through the various outlined tasks:

• Boat Marshalls: Will be on the dock assisting paddlers with getting in and out of the boats. This position should be filled by people who are comfortable around the water.
• Results Runners: Will be posting the results from the Timing Officials at the Registration Headquarters. This position requires neat handwriting.
• Team Marshalls: Will assist the Marshalling Manager in ensuring that all teams are ready to load into boats at the correct time to maintain smooth running of the races.
• Crowd Control: Will ensure one-way flow traffic from the Marshalling Area after boats are unloaded.

If you would like to volunteer, we can promise some food, drinks, a really cool shirt, and community service hours (if applicable) so please complete this Volunteer Form to join our team! To get more info or ask any questions, feel free to send us an email at volunteers@gwnevents.com.