Archive: Arts & Entertainment

The Finger Lakes International Dragon Boat Festival is moving to Taughannock Falls State Park for a day of fun and competition on Saturday, July 14. The move to Taughannock Falls will enable the Festival to accommodate, for the first time, spectators watching from boats.

Festival organizers are hoping to attract boaters from up and down Cayuga Lake to anchor off the lakeward side of the race course and watch the races from their boat. Due to the narrow channel at Cass Park, in previous years, boaters have not been able to watch the races from the water.

The event, which has been a popular event at Cass Park in Ithaca for a decade, will feature a day long schedule of dragon boat races on Cayuga Lake coupled with family fun activities, entertainment and cultural events onshore. The event begins with preliminary races beginning at 8:45 am and ends at 5:00 pm. Onshore activities will begin with the traditional Eye Dotting ceremony at 11:45 a.m.

This year the Finger Lakes International Dragon Boat Festival also welcomes the South East Sea Dragons from Trinidad and Tobago. The team began in January 2010, led by Kirsten Shade, current coach and national athlete who was introduced to the sport in January 2009.

The Dragon Boat races are sanctioned competitive events that have annually attracted racing teams from throughout the northeastern USA, including from Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington DC. Each boat is crewed by 20 paddlers, drummer and oarsman, and compete in race in 200, 500, and 2000 meter distances in several divisions.

In addition to the competitive racing team, the Festival offers the opportunity for local groups and businesses to compete in the Novice Division. In previous years, local teams have provided local employers and agencies the opportunity for team building, marketing in addition to competing with other locals. The winning team in the Novice Division will receive $1,000 to be donated to the charity of its choice.

The Finger Lakes International Dragon Boat Festival has grown to be one of the signature summer festivals in the Finger Lakes region. It promotes, celebrates and educates the public about Asian and Asian American cultures and heritage through the dragon boating racing, and onshore festival activities. The Festival is sponsored and hosted by the Ithaca Asian American Association (IAAA).

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