• A paddling adventure and weekend community celebration
• Welcoming outdoor enthusiasts and dragon boat paddlers
• Located on the Grand Marais Harbor on Lake Superior, in Grand Marais, Minnesota
• Supporting the work of three area non-profit organizations
• The opportunity for all ages to participate through our Inter-Generational Paddle.

Team Manager’s Rules and Documents

We want YOU at the North Shore Dragon Boat Festival!

Breaking news......We've extended the early registration deadline to May 1st!  That means you still have time to get your friends, family, co-workers, church group, sports club or service group together to power a dragon boat across Grand Marais Harbor.  You can also register as an individual and we'll build a boat of single paddlers.  Just head on over to the Registration page and sign up!

The experience of racing a dragon boat is hard to convey in words: dipping your paddle into the water in unison with 20 friends to the beat of the drummer and feeling the 'dragon' surge forward as you pull hard....hearing the cheers of friends and family on shore...building momentum as you and your team pull together....

Put that experience together with a whole weekend of fun events and camaraderie, the beauty of Grand Marais' North Shore harbor, and the opportunity to support 3 non-profits that improve the quality of life in the Arrowhead, and you can understand why dragon boat teams and fans make the North Shore Dragon Boat Festival a habit!

You're invited to peruse the website -- learn about dragon boat racing, the weekend's events, area accommodations and attractions, and then sign up!  You can register as a team, an individual looking for a team, or a volunteer.    

Our Mission - Paddling for Community

The North Shore Dragon Boat Festival supports the work of important regional non-profit organizations by raising funds through a community-focused summer festival that welcomes outdoor enthusiasts, families, and paddlers from throughout the Greater Midwest, Canada, and around the world. The festival engages individuals and groups in athletic participation, celebrates the beauty of the North Shore, rekindles people's connection to Lake Superior, and benefits the region by fostering economic vitality.

The Dragon Boat Concept

Dragon Boat racing is the fastest growing water sport in the world and, because of its extreme popularity in Asia, is rated the second most popular sport in the world according to Paddler magazine. In recent years the sport has taken off in North America and many major cities and regions in both the United States and Canada can now boast that it has a Dragon Boat Festival as part of its summer event schedule.

Dragon boats are provided by the festival, and are included in the registration fee. No experience is necessary! Coaching and practice sessions are available to teams the evening before and the morning of the races. While some teams are well-oiled machines, most are not! The goal is to have a good time and raise money for our non-profits.