July 23, 2010
Dragon Boat Festival
Every year on Sloan’s lake, on the West side of Denver. they hold the Dragon Boat Festival. It started in 2001 to honor the Asian Culture the area. Admission is free, but finding a parking spot can be a pain. Often, you have to walk several blocks, but that isn’t too big a deal. We parked in a King Soopers lot near a Taco Bell.
The first thing we saw when we arrived was the dance of the dragon. With loud clanging and high pitched flutes tweeting, the dragon twisted and twirled in its circle. I pushed through the crowd trying to get a better look and to take some pictures. Once the dragon was finished, we moved on.
The central part of the festival takes part on Sloan Lake itself. Teams of boaters get a chance to compete in rowing across the lake for first place. Many of the boats are decorated elaborately and the races are quite exciting to watch.
We moved on from the races, past all the tents of food onto the tents with Asian clothes, Free Massages, Advertising for Asian Oriented-Businesses and Cultural Information. I collected everything from free postcards to free posters along the way. The kids had fun with the dragon head costume sitting out in front of one of the tents.
Finally, we swung by the dance competition. Teenagers did everything from traditional dances to modern lock and pop breaking dancing. It was fascinating to watch. The kids were tired and hungry, so we left for home. It had been a very interesting and active day. I look forward to returning next year!
carilynn27 