The Montana Dragon Boat Festival may not keep its anchor in Bigfork, with a change of location possible for future boating events.
For the past three summers, dozens of teams of 22 people have taken to Flathead Lake’s waters to paddle their dragon boats, which are 46 feet long, and race the other competitors.
It’s been an immensely popular venture from the Kalispell Convention and Visitors Bureau, which organizes and puts on the event each year. In September, 74 teams participated, with about one-third of them coming from out of market during the two-day festival.
KCVB director Diane Medler said the event continues to garner the interest of out-of-market teams and bring people to the Flathead Valley – which is the ultimate goal – but the costs of putting on the festival are prohibitive.
The festival has been at the Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork since it started in 2011, but Medler said the lack of parking there means the KCVB has to pay for buses to shuttle people back and forth to the event, and the cost of renting the venue is high.
“We love having it at Bigfork, the lodge is obviously an incredible venue,” she said. “We just need to look at the long-term economic viability of the event. We need to break even.”
Medler said a group from Lakeside has approached the KCVB about hosting the festival on the west shore of Flathead Lake, and the KCVB will consider the proposal before making any decisions.
“They approached us and they are presenting a proposal to us,” Medler said. “We’re going to be making a decision by the first of the year.”
The festival has yet to break even, despite its popularity. Thousands of people flock to the shores to watch the boats or to participate each year. The KCVB has decided that roughly 70 teams is the right number for participants, Medler said.
Medler also said the festival created a $1.5 million economic boon for the valley with so many people visiting, staying in hotels, eating at restaurants, and shopping at local businesses.
Dragon boats naturally attract curiosity and spectators, and the valley has embraced the festival in the past three years. Medler said she hopes to keep it here for the long term, because it has done its job by bringing people to the area.
“It’s a great event,” she said. “But it does need to break even.”