Austin Dragon Boat Festival at Lady Bird Lake
- Austin’s 26th annual Dragon Boat Festival brought 20 teams and about 400 paddlers to Festival Beach on April 25, mixing races on Lady Bird Lake with dance, music, food and live art. - Organizers said the free event drew roughly 3,000 attendees, and artist Zachary Hsieh, known as ZHC, finished a custom 40-foot dragon boat on site before an auction running through April 30. - The festival is one of Central Texas’ longest-running Asian and Pacific Islander cultural events and is now produced by The Lunar Foundation. (atxdragonboat.com)
Austin’s Dragon Boat Festival returned to Lady Bird Lake on Saturday for its 26th year, with races, cultural performances and a free public program at Festival Beach. (kxan.com) (atxdragonboat.com) The April 25 event started at 10 a.m. and was produced by The Lunar Foundation at Festival Beach, part of Edward Rendon Sr. Park on the east side of Lady Bird Lake. (kxan.com) (austintexas.org) Organizers said the festival featured 20 teams, about 400 paddlers and roughly 3,000 attendees, with spectators admitted free. (kxan.com) (austintexas.org) The program paired the races with an opening ceremony, an eye-dotting ritual and performances by groups including Austin Taiko, the Texas Dragon/Lion Dance Team and the Austin Filipino Cultural Dance Troupe. (atxdragonboat.com) (kxan.com) Food vendors included Red Dragon Bao, Happy Lemon and Kessho, and community booths included the Austin chapter of the National Federation of the Blind and the Network of Asian America Organizations. (atxdragonboat.com) This festival has become one of Central Texas’ longest-running cultural celebrations tied to Asian and Pacific Islander heritage, built around the ancient sport of dragon boat racing. (austinmonthly.com) (austintexas.org) The current event is also part of a newer organizing chapter. The Lunar Foundation now produces the festival, while Austin’s arts department lists city grant support through an Elevate Grant. (kxan.com) (atxdragonboat.com) One of the most visible additions this year was artist Zachary Hsieh, known as ZHC, who organizers said painted a 40-foot dragon boat and completed a live finishing session at the festival grounds. (kxan.com) (austintexas.org) Organizers said that boat will be auctioned through April 30, extending the event beyond race day and turning one of its centerpieces into a fundraiser. (kxan.com) For Austin, the festival’s annual return keeps a long-running spring tradition on the lake: boats on the water, drums on shore and a public celebration that mixes sport with culture. (austintexas.org) (atxdragonboat.com)
