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Global News
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Global News
Lethbridge jam-packed with summer events ahead of Canada Day
With ribs smoking on the grill, dragon boats making waves in the water and residents parading for their beliefs, Lethbridge, Alta., is chock full of events leading up to Canada Day. Ribfest has once again stopped in Lethbridge, but this time the trucks are here for five days, wrapping up on July 1. Meanwhile, the 25th Rotary Dragon Boast Festival is set to entertain thousands just across the street at Henderson Lake. Meanwhile, on Saturday, the annual Lethbridge Pride Parade will liven the streets downtown. All this combines for a busy weekend and it doesn't even include the weekly events and activities, such as the summer farmers markets, Nikka Yuko Japanese Gardens and more. 'We're super excited to be back in Lethbridge. It's such a beautiful city and the community here is always so welcoming,' said Kelsi McInnes, festival director for the Western Canada Ribfest Tour. Story continues below advertisement Ribfest has become a summer staple in the southern Alberta city and McInnes says the fact it lines up with the Dragon Boat Festival, Pride and other events is great for each activity. 'I think (patrons) are kind of hopping from event to event. They're going to hopefully go support the dragon boat races, but then they might come here and grab some ribs and grab a beer and listen to the music.' At the water's edge, Steven Urquhart, event chair for the Dragon Boat Festival, agrees the events only compliment one another. 'I think it's great for people to sort of circulate between these events. Of course, you can't be everywhere at once but I think it's wonderful to have these big events, it helps the city feel alive and also shows how much is going on.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy For a quarter century, the dragon boats have entertained the masses, becoming one of the largest annual events in Lethbridge. However, Urquhart says there's a whole lot more happening at Henderson Lake this weekend than just some skilled paddling. 'There's a whole festival side, you see all the food trucks, the beer garden. It's a whole weekend in and of itself and I think that's wonderful.' He says the economic impact of the festival surpasses on the million-dollar mark every year, making it crucial to hotels, restaurants and other industries. Story continues below advertisement 'We have teams that come from out of province, teams from (British Columbia), Saskatchewan, then from the United States, from Montana,' said Urquhart. The events aren't just for Lethbridge or southern Alberta residents, either. Related News Pickering Rotary Ribfest returns for 2025 'We're going to Ribfest, the dragon boat festival, (the farmers' market),' said Susan Thompson. Out enjoying Henderson Lake with her niece, Abbey Zellmer, Thompson recently travelled from out of province to take in everything Lethbridge has to offer this weekend. 'It's the perfect time we came,' said Thompson. For Zellmer, it's an exciting way to launch the summer, which she says is her favourite season. 'I feel really lucky because I just graduated and now I get to enjoy the summer break. My aunt (Thompson) and uncle just came in from B.C., so it's really cool that they get to experience this all too,' said Zellmer. For some of the youngest residents in the city, Canada Day itself will be the highlight of all upcoming events. 'Last year there was a dance and I liked watching the dances and there's really fun things to do,' said Isabela Morgado. She wasn't the only kid eagerly awaiting a chance to celebrate Canada's birthday. Story continues below advertisement 'I like seeing all the celebrations and I love to taste the food,' said Justin Soares. However, no food is worthy of tasting if it isn't made with love. Luckily, for guests at Ribfest, a chance meeting in 2022 means the food should be worth the wait. Ned Simpson and Brooke Weir both currently work for Blazin' BBQ, but three years ago they were on opposite grills, though nothing could keep them apart. 'We owe a lot to the ribs and the people who came out and supported us, kept us going throughout the years. So, it's fun to be here. We put a lot of that love we have for each other into our food,' said Simpson. For Weir, barbecue represents far more than great-tasting food. 'We're very lucky that we got so much out of barbecue that wasn't just barbecue. We've gotten so much out of this, it's fantastic.' Now she says Ribfest has transformed from a community event into something that feels a lot more like a family gathering. 'We cook dinner for everyone and you look out in the parking lot and everyone's eating the food you made for them. It's almost like one big family meal sometimes. It feels really good, really special,' said Weir.
CNBC
a day ago
- CNBC
More Southeast Asians are flocking to China's Chongqing city. Social media hype is a big reason
A new trend is driving Southeast Asian tourists to China's Chongqing city — viral social media clips of monorails running through a residential building, buildings perched atop hilly terrain, and a pedestrian bridge on the 13th floor. Flight bookings from Southeast Asia to Chongqing increased more than sixfold during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, which fell on May 31 this year, compared with the previous year, Chinese online travel platform Fliggy told CNBC. "In 2025 alone, we've captured a nearly 12-fold surge in demand for Chongqing, compared to demand for other cities," said Sarah Wan, Klook's general manager for Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, in an email. Demand doubled for other popular cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, and tripled for Chengdu, she added. Chongqing has captured online attention for its duality — it's home to natural attractions such as the Three Gorges and the Dazu Rock Carvings, and futuristic architecture that inspired its nickname, "cyberpunk city." That's partly because young adults are turning to social media for recommendations when planning their holidays, with 79% of millennial and Gen Z travelers doing so, according to Klook Travel Pulse research published in February. That was the case for Ong Chong Yu, a 24-year-old undergraduate at the National University of Singapore, and his friends, who wanted to visit the city after it "blew up" on Douyin and TikTok for its "8D magic," refering to the way buildings sit on the hilly parts of Chongqing that adds dimension to the city's landscape. The Chinese language and Chinese studies major, who is on a student exchange program in Beijing, visited Chongqing on a weekend trip in March. He said he found the city's unique landscape most memorable. "[It] takes a climb up and down the mountain to get from one road to another, the first floor of one building might be the 15th floor of another," Ong said. Aside from social media hype, an improvement in amenities and a variety of activities have contributed to the city's growing popularity. The wide range of activities available for tourists means that "there is something in Chongqing for everyone," said Edmund Ong, senior regional director of Southeast Asia at in an email to CNBC. "Older folks have long enjoyed Chongqing for its beautiful scenery, including the Yangtze River and Three Gorges, while younger travelers have seen many places there go viral on social media," he added. But it takes more than good views to make a good holiday. Although Chongqing has become more crowded since undergraduate Ong's last visit in 2018, "the city's crowd control is great," he said, "so moving around was quite orderly, which I am impressed by." The municipality has been focusing on making travel more convenient for tourists, said Gao Ling, director-general of the Chongqing Municipal Commission of Culture and Tourism Development, in a interview translated from Mandarin by CNBC. The municipality has invested more into the transport systems for those traveling in and out of the city. With more options to and from other major cities such as Beijing and Chengdu via air and train, the city aims to make entry into Chongqing easy for tourists, Gao said in an interview with CNBC conducted in Mandarin. Earlier this year, Chongqing also established one-stop service centers in major transit hubs such as its Jiangbei International Airport and Chongqing North railway station, Gao said. The centers provide luggage storage and information desks for travelers. Young Southeast Asians may be enticed to visit, partly because of the region's proximity to China, Gao said. Among countries in Southeast Asia, has seen the most bookings to Chongqing from Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, which all enjoy visa-free travel to China. Similarly, Klook has noted that tourists from Singapore and Malaysia lead sales for tours in the region, with tourists from Thailand and Indonesia fueling demand. The number of hotel bookings to Chongqing from Thai travelers has also risen more than fivefold, according to data provided by Fliggy. But the hype isn't confined to Chongqing — travel demand is rising across cities in mainland China. According to the Klook Travel Pulse research study, mainland China is the top "must-go destination" for millennial and Gen Z travelers — second only to Japan. The country's youth appeal can be attributed partly to cultural experiences such as themed photoshoots and live performances incorporating song and dance, said Elvis Yap, travel experience and design planner for China at Singapore-based tour agency Dynasty Travel. Themed photoshoots, in which travelers dress up in traditional outfits, have also blown up on social media, fueling demand, Yap said. Foreign and local tourists alike post photos of themselves on social media, dressed up in the traditional Han clothing, complete with a wig and heavy makeup, all of which are included in the service that tourists purchase. Another popular example is "gong yan," a multi-course banquet meal and show, during which customers can dress up in traditional outfits. It's "a lot more dynamic," with "high level cultural arts" performances combined with the dining experience at an affordable price, Yap said, citing the strength of the Singapore dollar against the yuan. But social media isn't the only factor — hospitality in China has also improved, with more attractive services offered in hotels and attractions, he added. "The other countries in Asia have to watch out for the level of competition that China hospitality institutions are providing," Yap said.
The Standard
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Standard
China tries to shift appetite for extreme eating shows
Participants compete in a zongzi-eating competition held at a shopping mall in Wuhan, Hubei province to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. (Reuters)
CTV News
5 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
North America's largest dragon boat festival wraps up in False Creek
Hundreds of racers from around the world gave it their all in False Creek this weekend for the annual Vancouver Dragon Boat Festival—the largest event of its kind in North America. In total, 222 teams from nine countries participated in more than 100 races Saturday and Sunday. 'Despite the rain, everyone's in high spirits because this is what a lot of teams train an entire year for. They've flown in from around the world to race here,' said Dominic Lai with Dragon Boat BC. He explained that dragon boating made its Canadian debut at Expo 86, when members of Vancouver's Asian community brought the vessels over from Hong Kong for a demonstration race, and the sport took off. The first Dragon Boat Festival was in 1989. Sunday's festivities included a specialty cup competition for breast cancer survivors. 'I think most of us joined because we wanted to sort of get back into shape after breast cancer, but also to change the face of breast cancer, (show) that we can be active,' said Debra Chelsey, a member of a team from Calgary. 'We're living and we're strong, we're getting healthy,' said her teammate, Angela Reither. 'We have such great spirit and we're thriving. It shows our strength.'
CTV News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
32nd Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival makes waves at Mooney's Bay
Ottawa's annual Dragon Boat Festival is taking place at Mooney's Bay this weekend. CTV's Camille Wilson caught up with some of the attendees. The annual Dragon Boat Festival is back for it's 32nd year in Ottawa. The event is the largest festival of its kind in North America, drawing teams from all over the world. This year's festival has about 145 teams with 72 cities participating. Along with teams all across Canada, paddlers competed in at least two 500 metre races at Mooney's Bay on Saturday. 'The community side is just incredible because it brings together all walks of life,' says John Brooman, CEO and president of the Tim Hortons Dragon Boat Festival. 'It doesn't matter whether you're a first-time paddler or if you're on the national team. People are just out here having a wonderful time. It raises a ton of money for charity,' It is one of the biggest sporting and entertainment events in the nation's capital and is part of a larger Chinese cultural tradition that goes back 2,400 years. 'I grew up with the Dragon Boat Festival as a kid in the UK and I really loved it,' said attendee Kyan Cheng. 'I really wanted to take my three-year-old son to experience it for the first time here. I've talked about it and it's part of our culture. He's just really loving it.' Ottawa Dragonboat Festival The Arctic Char Dragon Boat team from The Netherlands getting ready to compete. (Camille Wilson/CTV News Ottawa) Sandy Foote, captain of Fleet of Foote, says his team has participated in the event from the very beginning. 'This is our 32nd year at the Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival. We come every year and have a lot of fun,' Foote said. 'It's our biggest festival that we do. We do seven festivals every year. This one is the best one.' The festival is raising more than $250,000 for charity this weekend and has raised more than $6 million over the years. The two-day celebration also includes exhibitors, food, a Breast Cancer Survivor Challenge, traditional flower ceremony and dance performances. 'It's great to see such big crowds out for this type of event,' said Chris Bell. 'Lots of big smiles on people's faces. It's been a good, good experience.' There is free admission to all the races and free parking at the Canada Post parking lot. Races are every 10 minutes and will run until Sunday.
