Stroke on the Water
The fifth annual Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival roils the Schuylkill
Join hundreds on the banks of the Schuylkill this Saturday to cheer on rowers racing in decorated dragon boats. Teams of up to 20 athletes will expertly navigate flat water-racing canoes, beautifully adorned
Join hundreds on the banks of the Schuylkill this Saturday to cheer on rowers racing in decorated dragon boats. Teams of up to 20 athletes will expertly navigate flat water-racing canoes, beautifully adorned with colorful dragon heads and tails. The tradition stems from an incident in ancient China in which local fishermen could not rescue two compatriots who had fallen in the Milou River; they began to beat their drums and thrash their paddles to scare away the feasting dragons. Which is pretty much what the community, school and corporate teams meeting on the river race will look like – minus the feasting dragons, one hopes. Get infected with the high energy that takes over this annual event.
Free, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Fairmount Park, 610-642-2333; philadragonboatfestival.com.
