23rd annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival draws thousands

The 23rd annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York (HKDBF-NY) roused a rip-roaring good time in Queens.

The two-day event at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park on August 10 and 11 was fun for everyone in the family, including pets. Thousands of people enjoyed free giveaways, an arts and crafts booth, various types of food and live performances.

“I heard about it before and we saw it in the paper, so I thought we’d come check it out,” said David Noven, who came from Harlem with his son. “The boat races were really nice, the music was good and there was good food. I had lots of dumplings.”

While being a family-friendly event with ample entertainment, the dragon boat races had fierce competition as the teams sped through Meadow Lake, unleashing the results of more than two months of training.

SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE FESTIVAL

With 188 teams and more than 2,500 competitors, this year’s festival was the largest ever — an accomplishment that reflects the multicultural support for the Asian tradition.

“Obviously we have a growing Asian-American population and I think [promoting] this multicultural event is very important,” said Henry Wan, chair of the HKDBF-NY.

Teams competed for prizes and bragging rights, but the festival also provided downtime from the everyday stress of life.

“It’s been a true blast to be out here to celebrate and enjoy the festivities with so many different people, so many different cultures, so many different companies,” said Dwight Williams, captain of Standard Chartered Bank’s team. “It’s been nothing but pure enjoyment.”

To see the results of the races, please visit www.hkdbf-ny.org.