Paddlers practice Tuesday for the 2024 Fort Wayne Dragon Boat Races

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Paddlers met at Guldlin Park in Fort Wayne Tuesday evening to practice for the upcoming Fort Wayne Dragon Boat Races.

The 2024 edition of the dragon boat races is set for Friday, August 2nd, and Saturday, August 3rd, at Promenade Park. The event is a celebration of Chinese culture.

Friday evening from 5 PM to 10 PM you can enjoy Chinese performances and family-friendly activities provided by the Fort Wayne Chinese Friends and Family. There will also be food vendors and live music. Then at 8:30 PM is the Opening Ceremony, followed by the Floating Fire Pit Finale on the St. Marys River featuring fire dancers.

Then on Saturday, Dragon Boat Races begin at 10 AM after the Dotting of the Eyes Ceremony. For a full schedule of events, visit this link .

This will be the eighth year for the Dragon Boat Races. It is a great way to witness exciting races on the water and celebrate cultural diversity. You can immerse yourself in thousands of years of Chinese culture. You can experience making a customized fin, calligraphy, costumes, instant photos, performers, and a variety of music whether it is ancient dance or modern pop song.

Dragon Boat Racing itself dates back over 2,000 years. It is very popular in China. It is all about teamwork and getting all members on board in sync as one unit. On board, there are 20 paddlers, a steersman, and a drummer. It is completely different from canoeing or kayaking, as the paddling has to be synchronized and is faster. It is a great team-building activity though and is a lot of fun.

During the races, there will be about 20 teams participating this year. The 42 foot long boats will race neck and neck down the river from the Wells Street Bridge at Promenade Park. They will be two or three abreast and they often have photo finishes to determine the winners. The boats will all be decked out in dragon heads and tails.

It is a great way to showcase Fort Wayne’s rivers and connect the community to a different culture. Chuck Reddinger, Deputy Director of Recreation for the Fort Wayne Parks Department, says: “I think there’s always a feeling of excitement when you get the teams down there…there’s just this feeling and energy of excitement as they’re getting ready to race. They’ve been looking forward to this, they’ve been practicing, they’ve been getting in shape, they’re recruiting their friends and family to come down and do this event. And when you have those really tight, close races, they’re very excited…they’re clapping and cheering everybody and congratulating everyone whether they win or lose.”

We hope you enjoy the event early next month! We’ll cross our fingers for great weather! To learn about more events coming up on the riverfront, click here .

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