Denver Colorado’s Dragon Boat Festival Is Full of Surprises!

 

There are a plethora of interesting and intriguing things to discover in Denver, Colorado, including the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival! The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, which has been held annually since 1997 at Sloan's Lake Park, will return on July 23 and 24, 2022. The park will be packed with dragon boat races, fantastic cuisine, an Asian market, limitless activities, and thousands of community members gathering for a long-awaited annual celebration after two years of COVID-19 cancellations and toxic algae bloom.

Over 40 racing teams, 20+ food vendors, 50+ marketplace sellers, and live music — there's most likely to be something for everyone at the festival. This enclosed event is free to attend, but any financial contributions are appreciated to help with the administration and programming.

The first part of the show will be Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu parading its 75foot long, bright, traditional Chinese Dragon through Sloan Lake Park, which represents chasing away "evil energies," sending good luck, fortune, and a safe day of racing to all of the race teams, vendors, and spectators.

The Dragon will be displayed via a light on the roof of Team City and all of the competitors will line up behind it as it goes by the Band Stage, where each team will be introduced. A storyteller will present the history and culture of Dragon Boat racing, followed by a Buddhist Monk and congregation chanting, offering a formal blessing for the occasion.

The teams will compete in a two-day fast-paced dragon boat racing event. The Flag Catching - Taiwanese-style boats are making a comeback after popular demand. Each boat will have 18 paddlers, one drummer, and one flag grabber. Attend the finish line to see the dramatic event in which the flag grabber leans out and snatches the flag to win the race!

At the Taste of Asia Food Court, guests may enjoy a taste of Asia and shop till they drop. Festival-goers can fill their stomach with Asian delicacies from all over the continent at the Taste Of Asia Food Court! From all across Asia and the Pacific, food vendors will exhibit an abundance of delectable dishes! There's something for everyone. Attendees may also browse at a Marketplace packed with distinctive, one-of-a-kind arts and crafts, as well as merchants selling goods similar to those found in open-air street markets all across Asia.

The three Performance Stages, which will feature traditional and contemporary Asian and Asian-American instrumental, vocal, choral, and dance performances by well-known local artists, will get everyone's feet tapping and body dancing. Past performances have included: Japanese Taiko drumming by Denver Taiko, Halau Kalama, and Indian-fusion dancers, Mudra Dance. This is an interactive dance you do not want to miss!


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