The Dragon Boat Festival on Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is an annual tradition now in its twenty-second year. This August 9 and 10, 2014, more than 170 teams will compete for prizes. Each team competes by rowing a “dragon boat”, a narrow boat decorated like a Chinese dragon with a colorful head and tail.
There will be demonstrations of music, dance, martial arts, and more. Bring a chair and umbrella for sunbathing, and take a prime spot in the waterside pavilion on the north side (closest to Unisphere) of Meadow Lake. Last year, food vendors were overwhelmed by demand, so pack snacks.
- Dragon Boat Races , Meadow Lake, in Flushing Meadows Corona Park
- August 9-10, 2014, races start at TBA but are generally 9am and continue until 5pm, rain or shine
- Live music and other performances (free) TBA, but generally from 10 am to 3:30 pm, both days. See schedule on the organizer’s site.
- Organized by: Hong Kong Boat Festival in New York
- How to get to Flushing Meadows Corona-Park
What We Like – Dragon Boat Festival at Flushing Meadows
- Water! It is the only time of year that Meadow Lake receives any respect.
- The warm welcome to an ethnic tradition. The Dragon Boat’s audience has grown beyond the ethnic Chinese community in nearby Flushing. Although I wouldn’t call it a “multicultural” event, the festival draws a wide variety of viewers, and welcome participants, from outside the Asian community in Queens.
What We Don’t Like – Dragon Boat Festival at Flushing Meadows
- It can be difficult to keep up with the competition, especially for first-time Dragon Boat viewers.
- Sun. August in Flushing Meadows can be brutal. There are not many trees on the boardwalk, and you will need to wear a hat and wish you had an umbrella. Bring: hat, sunscreen and water.
