The Peach State Dragon Boat Academy’s 1st Annual Peachtree City Dragon Boat Race & International Festival is making its much-anticipated debut at Drake Field on Lake Peachtree on Saturday, September 27, tying boat races, international culture, and community celebration together in a fun-filled day. Hosted by the 501c3 nonprofit Peach State Dragon Boat Academy, the event will kick off at 8:00 a.m. and features something for everyone, whether you are racing on the water or enjoying some of the vendors and entertainment on the shore.

Participants can sign up as individual “free agent” paddlers or as a team in this 10-person boat, 200 meter race. Teams will be grouped into community or competitive divisions based on their experience level- competitive teams being for a group that has paddled together a minimum of three times prior to the Festival, while community teams are for newcomers and welcome any level of experience. All teams will be provided a boat steerer, paddles, and life jackets by the Festival  unless they decide to bring their own.

 Aside from the races, the Festival will feature live entertainment, food trucks, and vendors representing cultures from around the world, displaying the international roots and cultural unity behind dragon boat racing.

This Festival aims to foster connection amongst community members, and provide unique revenue-generating and marketing opportunities to local small businesses. While the Festival’s main goal is to bring neighbors together to celebrate each other and the rich array of cultures within our community, the event will also fundraise for the growth of the Academy. Jessica Walker, the CEO and founder of Peach State Dragon Boat Academy, hopes to raise money for new boats and related equipment, foster development of the sport locally, and provide future  Academy members with the opportunity to compete in  regional, national, and international dragon boating events.

“Every day is a new personal-growth opportunity for athletes in this sport, and it’s also practically a zero-impact exercise  for your body,” said Walker. “You don’t have to be an Olympic-level athlete or train for decades to do it.”

Dragon boat racing is celebrated as the world’s most inclusive and accessible team sport, and this year’s festival will continue this legacy. There will be a senior division, cancer survivor and para-athlete divisions, and a special exhibition race and medal ceremony for paddlers with special needs, ensuring everyone feels welcome and encouraged to participate- regardless of age or ability.

A highlight of this year’s Festival is the introduction of a “Best of the Best Knock-out Race” at the end of the day. For an additional fee,  6 teams will face off in a 100 meter race where the slowest teams are eliminated in continuous  rounds, until only three teams remain. The winning team of the remaining three will earn free registration for next year’s Festival. 

Another key part of the event is the Cancer Flower Ceremony, a powerful tradition held at dragon boat events all around the world to recognize the intensely healing connection of cancer survivorship with this sport. In this ceremony, the boats will be grafted together on the water, and lavender flowers, representing all-cancer support, will be distributed to both paddlers and spectators on shore to be displayed as a tribute to those impacted by cancer.  An inspiring song and a speech by one of the cancer survivors will leave no dry eyes as we remember our lost (as well as still-battling) friends and family.

“We have people who are in different stages of their cancer journeys who are there in cancer survivor teams to support and mentor each other,” said Walker. “It brings people together, maybe people you never would have come across otherwise in your life.”

The Festival is still accepting sponsors, vendors, teams, and volunteers. Whether you are looking to race, cheer on a team, or enjoy the vibrant cultural offerings of our local community, there will be much to celebrate at this year’s Festival. For more information, visit the Peach State Dragon Boat Academy’s festival page.