Fuse Project’s third annual Mobile Dragon Boat Festival is scheduled for June 11, 2016 in Mobile at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park!
Dragon boat racing dates back over 2,000 years in Southern China, only emerging as an international sport from Hong Kong in 1976. These original races were an ancient folk ritual expressing both the religion and culture of the people involved.
While modern Dragon boat races have separated from this original intent, they are still teams of determined individual contending against each other in long, beautiful boats decorated to look like fancifully colored, oriental dragons - and that means fun!
Hong Kong-style dragon boats, like the type used at the Mobile Dragon Boat Festival, are 46-feet in length and hold a 22-person team: 10 seats for the 20 rowers, another for a pilot to operate the steering oar in the rear of the craft, and a final seat to accommodate the drummer, who sets the boat's rhythm.
The third annual Mobile Dragon Boat Festival is more than just a fun day's event on the water - it's also a community-minded fund-raising event: each dragon boat racing team must donate a minimum amount, traditionally collected via fund-raising, to compete in the race - $2,000 for community team, $2,250 for corporate team.
Last year's Mobile dragon boat festival raised $150,000 - $25,000 more than expected - and all earmarked to fund five projects benefiting children in Mobile and Baldwin counties. 2016
Mobile Dragon Boat Festival 2016 will kick off with an opening ceremony at 8am, with a Drummer's Parade at 10:05am, heats throughout the morning and early afternoon, all followed by the Awards Ceremony at 2:30pm. Over 1,000 dragon boat team members are expected, along with well over 5,000 spectators. Don't miss this exciting and fun event for a good cause!
