'An event that touches on every one of the senses.' Dragon boat festival charts Lake Lanier Saturday

Bill Murphy, The Times, Gainesville, Ga.
·3 min read

Sep. 8—The Atlanta Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival is a celebration of all things Asian.

Slated for Saturday, Sept. 10, attendees will have things to do all day, focused around the races with teams converging from all across the Southeast to participate.

Atlanta Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival

When: 8:30 a.m. Sept. 10

Where: Lake Lanier Olympic Park, 3105 Clarks Bridge Road, Gainesville

More info: dragonboatatlanta.com

The dragon boat competition consists of 20 paddlers and a drummer in the front of each vessel to keep paddlers in sync with the pace of their strikes and verbal commands.

However, spectators don't have to be knowledgeable about the dragon boat tradition — one that dates back 2,000 years to its origins in China — to enjoy everything going on.

It's a festivity for all ages with Asian cuisine, entertainment, raffles and music at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville.

Races will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the day will conclude with an awards ceremony at 3:40 p.m.

"This is an event that touches on every one of the senses," festival director Tracy Barth said.

And this year, anticipation for the event is at an all-time high, as the boats return to Lake Lanier for the first time since 2019 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This year's will be the 24th installment of the Atlanta Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in Gainesville.

This weekend, there will be 57 teams participating and approximately 1,200 paddlers on hand, Barth said.

There's no charge for admission, but there is a parking fee. All proceeds will go to the Humane Society of Northeast Georgia, Food Bank of Northeast Georgia and Susan G. Komen.

In addition, there will be a raffle for two trips to Antigua, with proceeds going to Asian Americans Advancing Justice Atlanta, a nonprofit organization that aims to protect the civil rights of Asian Americans.

Once in the gate, spectators will be consumed with things to pass the time.

Fans will be greeted with music upon arrival and will get to see inflatable dragons. There will also be two LED screens to add to the experience: one to show the action on the water, while another will display advertising.

There will also be tai chi demonstrations for those interested in watching one of the more popular disciplines of martial arts.

Also, there will be a Home Depot workshop for kids and pop-up tents.

"It's going to be a festival atmosphere," Barth said. "Everyone will be able to have a good time. There's going to be lots of action on the water, but also on the land, as well."

Before moving to Lake Lanier in 1998, the Atlanta Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival was originally hosted at Stone Mountain Park.

Boats are provided for teams in attendance.

The organization owns 10 20-foot dragon boats and two that are 10 feet long, which are stored by the city of Gainesville.

This event has grown leaps and bounds since its first festival with eight teams in attendance.

This year, there will be corporate teams coming from California to participate.

For more information, visit dragonboatatlanta.com.