Location: Mortensen Riverfront Plaza Hartford, CT

Event Details

• Up to $15,000 in cash prizes and awards!
• Six races over two days for club crews
• Three races for local, non-club teams (on Saturday, Aug 21)
• Mixed, Women's, Breast Cancer Survivors, Youth, Corporate, and Municipal Divisions
• Eastern Region Dragon Boat Association (ERDBA) Circuit Point Qualifier for ERDBA Members
• Sponsorship Challenge Race


• Race Management and Timing by Great White North Dragon Boat
• Electronic Start & Finish with Video Replay

Event Highlights

• Tent City – Local and club team villages
• Two days of Asian entertainment, dancing, demonstrations, and activities
• Authentic Asian food as well as American favorites
• Special team Gourmet box lunch offerings
• Kid’s Asian activities
• Table tennis competition
• Asian specialty beer garden

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DRAGON BOAT RACING - Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 5pm

Why Dragon Boat Racing?

Put together a dragon boat team for a group activity like no other. Your team of at least 8 women and 12 men will propel a 40 foot dragon boat in the water through teamwork and communication in a friendly competition against other teams!

No athleticism or experience required! Get your team on the water and experience one of the most unique teambuilding activities offered in Connecticut. See why those who’ve tried it are hooked!

Its easy to do:
- Just pull together 20 co-workers, peers, friends or family as paddlers on your team. No experience required, 16 years and older.
- Attend at least 2 practices before race day.
- All equipment and instruction provided.

This is a sport anyone can compete in! Share this information with your friends! Click here to view and print our team recruitment flyer!

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It’s not too early to get your team together and start training. There are several good training videos that you can circulate among your team members. Visualization and dry land practice can give your team a tremendous advantage.

VIDEO 1
VIDEO 2
VIDEO 3

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Team Captain Info & Race Details

This section will be used to provide Team Captains with useful information... including Race Rules & Regs. Check back soon for more info!

Click here to see the 2010 Race Rules and Regulations!
Click here to view the 2010 Race Schedule! TO BE ANNOUNCED
Click here to view the 2009 Dragon Boat race results!


PADDLER INFO

Directions to the Race Venue - click here.
Things to do while your in Hartford - click here.
Day of event information - TO COME

Click here to see the 2010 Race Rules and Regulations!
Click here to view the 2010 Race Schedule! TO BE ANNOUNCED
Click here to view the 2009 Dragon Boat race results!

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ASIAN FESTIVAL - Saturday, 10am to 3pm

Asian Festival Overview

The day-long Asian Cultural Festival Offers FREE
- Martial Arts Demonstrations
- Table Tennis
- Asian Music & Dance Performances
- And More…

PARK RULES & REGULATIONS - Please note: Due to liability and legal restrictions, NO OUTSIDE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES of any kind may be brought into the Riverfront Parks by any party. Riverfront Recapture is the only licensed authority to sell and serve liquor for consumption in the Riverfront Parks.

Entertainment Schedule

Saturday entertainment is 10am – 4pm and Sunday 10am – 2pm: More info to come.

Photo Gallery & Videos

Click here to see a photo gallery of past dragon boat events and Asian festivals.

To see a You Tube video of a Dragon Boat practice race, click the arrow below.

Event History

In 2000, Riverfront Recapture held its 1st Dragon Boat Festival and attracted over 30 local teams to compete in a 1-day community-based competition. Over the years the competition has grown and the festival has developed into a culturally rich and vibrant event that showcases the Asian community that thrives in the Hartford region. Now after 8 years, the downtown Hartford riverfront is widely recognized as one of the premier dragon boat venues in the country. We produce a very well-run competition accompanied by a high quality, action packed festival. If you haven’t been to Hartford lately, you would be pleasantly surprised. Hartford has become a desirable vacation destination with great restaurants, clubs, accommodations, entertainment, history, and natural beauty. We would like to invite your team to what will surely be the best dragon boat event of your season – The Riverfront Dragon Boat & Asian Festival on August 21st & 22nd.

For those teams that have competed in our festival before, we intend to keep the general format the same as it was for the past 8 years - why change a good thing? This means that you will be competing for trophies and medals in a 3-race competition on Saturday August 21. There will of course be an energy-filled awards ceremony with plenty of trophies and medals.

For more information about the Chinese history of Dragon Boat Racing, CLICK HERE.

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OTHER INFO

This video is made by Damon Scott, a local afternoon radio personality on 96.5TIC FM. We got him in a boat last week to participate in a dragon boat practice with a local team from the Hartford Steam Boiler. This is his perspective on Dragon Boat Racing. It's always great to get a fresh perspective!

Registration Fees & Prize Money

REGISTRATION FEES
CLICK HERE TO VIEW AND PRINT OUR 2010 REGISTRATION FEES!

PRIZE MONEY
This year's race will feature up to $15,000 prize purse that will be up for grabs over the course of the two day event, slated for August 21 & 22, 2010. Prizes will be awarded in the 500M and 200M Races for 4 Divisions, Premium Mixed, Premium Women, Premium Youth and Breast Cancer Survivor. DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED

The 2010 Hartford event will also serve as an ERDBA Qualifier. Timing will be conducted by Great White North Dragon Boat of Canada, one of the best race organizers in North America.

Volunteer to Help at this Event

INFO TO COME

Where to Stay and Play while your in Hartford

HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS -
Riverfront Recapture has negotiated great rates with three event host hotels! Booking your hotel stay with one of the three host hotels below results in increased money in the prize purse for club teams, thanks to a special arrangement made between Riverfront Recapture and the host hotels. Be sure to tell them you're booking your room with the 2010 Riverfront Dragon Boat and Asian Festival Event!



For more information about the activities, restaurants, parks, and other services in the city of Hartford, visit these websites -
Greater Hartford Convention and Visitors Bureau
Hartford.com
Greater Hartford Arts Council

Getting around town -
Free Downtown Shuttle - The Hartford Star Shuttle is a free, downtown shuttle bus that leaves the CT Convention Center approximately every 12 minutes, Monday through Friday, from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM. On Saturdays, the shuttle runs from 3:00 to 11:00 PM. Fifteen Star Shuttle stops bring you directly to dozens of Hartford hotels, historic sights, restaurants and entertainment venues! To see the Star Shuttle route, click here. For more information, or extended shuttle hours for special events, click here.

Getting to and from Hartford -
Amtrack Train Service
Greyhound Bus Line
Peter Pan Bus Line

Cancellation Policy

REFUNDS/CANCELLATIONS – Please remember that team cancellations will only be available if approved by the Event Director. Also note that there may be cancellation fees associated with any cancellation. All processing and service fees are non-refundable. This event is rain or shine. There are no refunds for inclement weather.

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