It simply isn’t an adventure worth telling if there aren’t any dragons.
~J.R.R. Tolkien
With a break in the heat, celebrating the Year of the Dog at the annual Dragon Boat Festival couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ve attended this festival many times in the past and it’s usually one of the hottest weekends of the summer so imagine my delight when pizzas actually came from the food trucks, rather than the sidewalk. Billed as the largest of its kind in the nation — this festival has been a source of pride and cultural preservation for thousands of Asian-Americans across the Rocky Mountain region. With killer boatsmanship, entertainment galore and enough food trucks and vendors to choke a horse, this year’s version was bigger than ever, with an estimated 120,000 in attendance. Opening ceremonies included a dragon dance and the dotting of the eye ceremony (which I sadly missed).
Along with cultural performances, the festival boasted tasty food, shopping, family activities, dragon boat races and other celebrations of Asian and Asian-American heritage and all around good fun for everyone.
Does this particular heat seem as unfair to you as it did to me since the geese don’t get to race with oars? They did perform nicely, nonetheless.
All an all, it was a great two-day dragon adventure certainly worth telling others about. Tolkien would have been proud. How was your weekend?
Live, love, bark! 🐾
This looks so much fun!
Wooftastic fun!
3 bum swings! 3 more!
💜 nose nudges 💜
😄
That looks so colorful and fun! Great photos of such colorful boats. I’m glad that you had cooler weather for it.
We had a much less exciting weekend… watching the end of the Tour de France.
It was great fun with color everywhere. There wasn’t much mystery about the Tour this year. I like it when you don’t know who the winner is before that last ride. 🚴🏻♀️
What a neat event!! Talk about art! I’ve always been fascinated by the dragons used to usher in the new year. And you got good shots of the geese too!
Geese are such posers!
You immersed yourself in a wonderfully beautiful culture for the weekend. What a great ‘vacation’!
Such an enthralling way to spend a few hours. The local Asian culture clubs performances spoke volumes about their heritage!
How cool. 😁
I keep thinking I need to add a dragon to my collection. I wonder if there’s a dragoncorn?
You can never go wrong with a dragon. Or at least you wouldn’t want to go wrong with a dragon 😆
looks like great fun!
hugs
Hazel & Mabel
It most definitely was!
OMD, that looks like it was tons of funs! They have those Dragon races up in Oakland/SF too! They are so fun to watch. Our weekend was hot and then hotter when the A/C died. sigh. I’m a cold weather doggie ~ I told Ma I don’t do good in this kind of heat! Hopefully it will be fixed tomorrows, and I can go back to sitting next to some cold aire ☺
Kisses,
Ruby ♥
I’m with you Ruby…I’d be more than happy to share what’s left of my summer with those who enjoy it. Give me a flannel shirt and sweater and I’m a happy camper. The dogs seems to enjoy cooler temps too. Try to stay cool. Autumn is just 53 days away.
What a cool festival, so colorful!
It’s such a great event and allows people to learn more about Asian culture. So fun!
Oh how fun! Reminds me of the day we were in Schwerin, Germany … walking through town, and a dragonboat races were going on the lake in the center of town. A festive atmosphere.
Oh what an adventure. No doubt that made J. R. R. Tolkien smile.
Alas I had a dragon-less weekend but yours looked great. Dragons need more invitations.
I wholeheartedly agree. Dragons are too fascinating!
What fun! I am enamored by the Asian culture and I would LOVE to attend something like this! The photo of the little girl is just precious!!
She was a real cutie but as naughty as could be. ☺️ Life at her house must be quite the adventure.
That looks like fun! Our weekend was extremely quiet compared to all that. 🙂
Nothing wrong with quiet. 😊
What an interesting and colourful weekend you have had, It looked fun and exciting. Our weekend, in contrast, was quiet, peaceful and uneventful —- boring really. Most weekends are here – sigh- but it was not always thus.
Peaceful, quiet and uneventful are quite good. 😍
Well, that just looks like crazy amounts of fun. I saw the swan boats at the park near my house. I am usually afraid of them and this weekend was no different. Giant swans are not normal and I am pretty sure they’re trying to kill me.
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Nah, they wouldn’t hurt a cutie like you, Cupcake! You might even enjoy all the cool places to take a nap at a festival like this one.
Mee-you Lady Monika mee nevurr new about dragon Boatss till now. They look pawtastick!!! Mee wood luv to bee on one with peepull rowin….
An yur SPARK iss berry relly-vant fur sure!
***nose rubsss*** Siddhartha Henry xXx
Thanks Purrince. You’d love skimming across the water.
Heh…dragon boat races in Colorado. Who knew? I’ve watched in Hong Kong and Hawaii but never thought about Rocky Mountain dragon boats.
The wild thing is it’s supposed to be one of the biggest in the country. Not sure it that’s hype or legit but it’s a great weekend of fun.
We have one of those dragon festivals at The Plaza in KC too. Mom has never gone, but your beautiful photos make her want to try getting there the next time.
Woos – Lightning, Misty, and Timber
It’s such a blast. I strongly endorse it. Such cool things to see, taste and hear. Happy Monday.
Great post. My daughter Lauren did the same thing that little girl is doing through the bars of that fence when she was about the same age. We had to call the fire department to get her out. Lol. -Robert
Yikes! That little girl split through those bars and took off. I had to quickly ‘corralled’ her when her mom screeched since she wasn’t quite as nibble of feet at the kid. They say kids keep us young…I wonder about that sometimes. 😁
Yes, they make us wish we could do what they can do, while simultaneously having us frantically trying to stop them from doing what they are trying to do. lol. – Robert
🤣
Great pictures of so many fun things. I loved the people watching one, the dragon painting, the little girl, the colorful umbrellas…and I want to go spinning on the water in a bubble thing with the kids (or maybe without the kids.)
Those water bubble things are a hoot. Yeah, best to leave the kids outa it when adults are present. We tend to break more than they do-they just bounce. 😁
well we were set to go but at the last minute I couldn’t face the crowds and trouble parking. I’m so sorry to miss it since really interests me. The pictures are great!
Thanks. Next year, you guys should go, you’d love it!
I love those dragon boats: that “boom – boom – boom” of the drums, and the paddles moving in unison. 🙂
Have a “boom week”,
Pit
That drum cadence helps synchronize the paddle action and really makes a difference on how fast the boat goes. Plus it’s sooooo cool to hear!
Exactly! 🙂
Looks like a ton-o-fun. Those geese weren’t very organized but give credit for hanging close even if they did come away with a big goose egg. 🙃. Still frying eggs on the sidewalk out west as we once again try to keep CA from burning off the map. We got from a blue state to a charred state before this fire season is over.
I notice no pics of Sam or Elsa. Was this event attended sans pups?
There were a zillion dogs and peeps there which might be a bit overwhelming for Elsa. I road my bike to the lake, so it was just easier not to bring them.
Yeah we have to also be a little judicious with Kloe and her over exuberance with people and pups.
I completely understand. With Elsa, it’s best to keep event stress to a minimum so it doesn’t trigger seizures.
Right. She’s so lucky to have you as her guardian
You’re too kind. It’s just easier for both of us. 😉
Dotting of the eye? You went to a Dragon Festival and an Ohio State football game broke out?
We didn’t say poke the eye, Kismet. 😆
Neither did I. I didn’t go to Ohio State but they have a tradition of the band spelling out “Ohio” in script on the field. Somebody comes out an becomes the dot over the i. It’s a great honor and goes to people like Jack Nicklaus. Go on youtube and search for dotting of the i ohio state.
Gotcha. Always thought the Ohio dot was the drum major.
Looks like a great festival to go too! How fun! Love the geese, perhaps next year they will win! 🙂
At Sloan’s Lake, the geese always win…with a vengeance. #watchwhereyoustep
LOL!!
Such fun!
Fun, food and dragons…how could a person go wrong?
What an absolute beautiful time that was!! We would have loved seeing it all in person. XOXO – Bacon
It’s a terrific event and such fun!
What a fun event! I bet the boat races were amazing to watch. I’m glad the geese were enthusiastic, too – the geese near us tend to be pretty crabby.
The floating bouncy house thing must have been a big hit with the kids.
The Asian culture is so fascinating and events like this share it so beautifully.
OMG! That must have been fan-tab-u-lous!!! Looks like great fun! And that umbrella is gorgeous! Thanks for sharing the festival with us!
It was amazing! I think I walked around the whole time with my jaw dropped at such remarkable sights.
oh I saw the photos at instagram and the first thought was: oooh wish to be there too… what a fabulous event!!!
The Asian culture is just so intriguing. Besides, who doesn’t love dragons?