Travel Tips & Trends

Pan-Asian culture in Colorado

The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival (CDBF), now in its eighth year, will take place in Denver this year on July 26 and 27.

The free two-day festival showcases the 2,000-year-old sport of dragon boat racing and an array of performing artists, culture and cuisine from Asia and the Pacific. Considered the most recognized and celebrated Asian-American/Pacific Islander cultural event in the Rocky Mountain region, the festival drew more than 100,000 spectators last year.

This year's festival plays host to the 2008 American Dragon Boat Association (ADBA) Competitive Regional Races, considered the Olympics of dragon boat racing for the region. National and international teams will participate in the competitive division races on a 500-meter course using BuK-style (Hong Kong) boats.

Corporate and community teams will also compete on both days, using colorful Taiwanese-style boats. Teams race to catch the winning flag and take home a trophy. Free clinics and practice sessions will be offered for anyone who wants to give the sport a try.

The Festival Marketplace has arts and crafts ranging from Thai home accessories to Chinese calligraphy and Japanese pottery, in an atmosphere similar to the open-air street markets of Hong Kong, Manila, Seoul, Bangkok or Bombay. Festival goers can try cuisine such as Mongolian buuz (steamed meat dumplings) and Filipino rellenong manok (stuffed chicken). A performing arts stage features Asian and Asian-American artists, both local and international.

Last year's new venues Explore Asia! and the Cultural Unity Stage (a hip-hop and spoken word venue) will return in 2008. Explore Asia! is an intimate look into three Asian-Pacific communities, including exhibits, oral histories, cultural demonstrations, speakers, authentic cuisine and traditional performances.

Dragonland is a children's area offering face painting, origami and calligraphy. Gateway to Asia is an interactive and entertaining look at different Asian-Pacific cultural ceremonies and rituals.

"The festival is about more than just racing," says director Alisa Zimmerman. "It's an opportunity to experience the best of pan-Asian culture."

    What: 8th Annual Colorado Dragon Boat Festival
    When: July 26–27, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.
    Where: Sloan's Lake Park, Sheridan Blvd. and 25th Avenue, Denver. Free parking and shuttle service from Invesco Field.
    Find out more: 303-722-6852 or www.cdbf.org.