A big celebration of culture, community, and competition will return to White Rock Lake on Sunday, May 18, as the City of Dallas hosts its second annual Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage & Dragon Boat Festival.
The event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bath House Cultural Center, honors AAPI Heritage Month by showcasing some of the rich history, traditions, and artistic achievements of Asian and Pacific Islander communities across America, including Texas.
The festival will feature live performances, workshops, cultural exhibitions, a unique vendor market, and its main focus: the dragon boat races.
At noon, the races will kick off with the traditional “eye-dotting” ceremony for the dragon boats, a ritual believed to bless the races with good fortune and safe passage. The ceremony, also known as “awakening the dragon,” involves applying red paint to the eyes of dragon boat figureheads, symbolically bringing them to life and invoking blessings for safety and success in the upcoming races.
The dragon boats themselves are long, sleek boats often adorned with a traditional drummer to direct the large rowing crews and help their timing. According to DragonAnalytics, the boats can reach speeds up to 11 mph, depending on how elite the team is and the length of the race.
Organized in partnership with the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP), the festival aims to bring a family-friendly experience highlighting cultures from East, Southeast, and South Asia—as well as the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia directly to Dallas.
The dragon boat race, hosted by the Dallas Delite Dragon Boat Team, will also include a selection of corporate and community groups and competitive racers. On the day of the event, what the city describes as a unique “Motley Crew” team made up of solo racers will form, giving people a chance to compete and connect in real-time during the festival regardless of their experience or expertise.