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Mar 27, 2024

Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival 2023 schedule, races, food trucks

The colorful, competitive Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival returns to Lake Shore Park on Aug. 12 with dragon boat races and Chinese cultural performances and activities. The all-day event is sponsored

The colorful, competitive Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival returns to Lake Shore Park on Aug. 12 with dragon boat races and Chinese cultural performances and activities.

The all-day event is sponsored by the Milwaukee Chinese Community Center, the Organization of Chinese Americans Wisconsin Chapter and National Association of Asian American Professionals Milwaukee. According to the festival website, the festival's mission is to "showcase a variety of Chinese culture and traditions."

From race schedules to food offerings and performance information, here's what you need to know about the 2023 Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival.

The Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival is on Saturday, Aug. 12. Team registration and campsite set up begin at 7 a.m., and the estimated festival end time is 5:30 p.m.

Dragon boat racing is a traditional Chinese watersport in which teams of 22 ― made up of 20 paddlers, a drummer and a steerer ― paddle a long wooden boat, guided by the beat of a drum, as fast as they can.

The Dragon Boat Festival takes place at Lake Shore State Park, 500 N. Harbor Drive.

According to the festival website, there are three race start times throughout the day. The qualifying dragon boat race heats start at 8 a.m., the semi-final race heats start at 10:40 a.m., and the final race heats start at 1:30 p.m.

Race schedules will be published on the morning of race day. Each team is guaranteed three races. Their times in the first round will determine the division in which each team races for the semi-final and championship rounds. Each division will have eight teams, and festival organizers expect at least 44 total teams.

Ruiz said the final races are expected to end around 3 p.m. and will be followed by an awards ceremony around 3:45 p.m.

Spectators can watch the dragon boat races free of charge from Lake Shore Park. However, they must pay for parking if they want to park in the nearby Summerfest lots, festival organizers said. The festival is not a ticketed event.

Dragon boat race teams should register online at milwaukeedragonboatfest.org using the Google Form found under the "Race Information" tab.

Registration is open through July 30. Teams must pay a $1,250 registration fee, which covers the cost of one practice session, the use of dragon boat equipment and a professional steersman during the race and practice.

Each team must have 21 members ― 20 paddlers and one drummer. Teams must have a minimum of eight male and eight female paddlers, with four other paddlers of their choosing. Teams can also register up to four substitute paddlers in addition to their 21, for a total of 25 registrants. The festival will provide a steersman for all races.

Organizers said many Milwaukee companies, including Harley-Davidson, Molson-Coors, Kohl's Corp. and Johnson Controls, have registered teams this year and in the past, using the event as a team building activity.

The festival will feature free performances by traditional dance, Chinese folk music and martial arts groups, all organized by the Milwaukee Chinese Community Center.

According to the festival website, cultural performances will begin at 12:40 p.m.

The festival website states that there will be hands-on opportunities for attendees to make opera masks and lanterns, play traditional Chinese games, participate in a dragon parade, and learn to speak and write in Chinese.

Wang said most of the cultural activities are free, however, temporary tattoos and the kids' area ― which will feature inflatables, games and prizes ― are not free.

Festival organizers said there will be three food trucks on-site, mostly serving traditional Asian foods.

Organizers said one popular offering is the barbeque lamb skewer, which always attracts long lines. Attendees can also expect zongzi, a traditional sticky rice ball wrapped in bamboo leaves.