Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival

Some notable races within these divisions include: The Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival is part of a larger Chinese cultural tradition that goes back 2,400 years.

It began on the life-sustaining riverbanks in the valleys of southern China as a fertility rite performed to ensure bountiful crops.

The Opening Ceremony is presented on the Friday of each Festival weekend with cultural tourist attractions like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Pipe and Drum band.

Past performers include The Success Lion Dance Troupe, which celebrates a 3000-year-old tradition that symbolizes prosperity, luck and happiness, and The Oto-Wa Taiko Japanese drummers.

Each year, the festival provides a series of free concerts with a focus on showcasing talent local to the Ottawa region and Canada.

Notable acts have included Sam Roberts, Broken Social Scene, Matt Mays and The Sheepdogs.