The 23rd annual Colorado Dragon Boat Festival took place at Sloan’s Lake in Denver on July 23, 2023.
The event features two styles of dragon boats: The flag-catcher boat and the Hong Kong-style boat. In the boats paddlers sit in twos side-by-side, and each athlete has a single-bladed paddle. All boats have a drummer and a steerer, or sternsman, and athletes paddle to the rhythm of the drum.
The flag catcher boats have a flag catcher. At the end of the race, the flag catcher lies on top of the dragon head and pulls a flag, which stops the clock. Races were 400 meters and 200 meters over two days. Forty teams competed in this years races.
As well, more than 180 performers, 170,000 attendees over the two-day weekend and 400 volunteers helped bring the festival to the lake this year. Along with the races the event included dance and martial arts performances, bands, Asian food, comedians, and a variety of cultural events.
