Training to race in this year’s Colorado Dragon Boat Festival began in early June for youth members of the Lao Community of Colorado. but they don’t mind because for the past eight years the youth team has won first place in the dragon boat race.
“It’s a lifestyle,” said team captain Anthony Sivisay. “The whole Lao community comes together. This is our sport.”
Today, Sivisay and thousands of people attended the 9th annual festival that celebrates more than 40 different Asian cultures. It continues Sunday.
People began gathering before 10 a.m. today to find limited parking and to watch the race near a boat ramp or to find shade beneath trees at Sloan’s Lake Park in northwest Denver.
There, they watched 45 teams compete in novice, advanced and youth divisions who then paddled their way across a 500-meter course while riding in four BuK-style (Hong Kong) dragon boats decorated at each end with gold painted dragon heads and gold and green fishtails.
On Saturday, the 20-person -per-boat teams competed in time trials with the winners of each division going on to compete Sunday in hopes of winning a trophy, accolades and bragging rights.
The free two-day Asian cultural festival started in 2001 with about 15,000 visitors but has grown bigger each year, with more than 115,000 people who attended last year,organizers said.
Scores of people stopped today to enjoy food, drink, Asian music, dance and the boat races.
They visited more than 20 food vendors and a variety of booths offering clothing, yoga, massage therapy, jewelry, Asian trip adventures, Asian merchandise, art, acupuncture and food booths.
Before noon, a line stretched in front of a booth featuring Vietnamese dishes.
“We represent three different regions in Vietnam, the north, central and south,” said Diana Miller, a retired Denver attorney who grew up in Laos. Miller volunteered at a food booth for Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs Church where skewered grilled beef lemon grass on a bed of veggies was proving to be a best seller.
Last year, Miller said her church’s booth made close to a $15,000 profit over the two-day event and this year they hope to raise enough money to repave a church roof during a recession.
“It’s an opportunity to make money for the church during a rough economy and an opportunity for us to work in harmony,” Miller said.
This year’s two-day festival is saluting Hawaii’s 50th anniversary of statehood with Polynesian music, hula dances and a Hawaiian outrigger.
The only thing absent during this year’s festival from last year’s were shuttle buses that took people who parked at Invesco Field at Mile High to the festival to help curb traffic jams.
“There wasn’t enough funding and corporate sponsorship was down,” said Kelly Nelson, spokeswoman with the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, a nonprofit organization.
Festival organizers hope people will take advantage of an added bike valet and scooter station as well as public bus transportation or carpooling.
The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival continues Sunday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Annette Espinoza: 303-954-1655 or aespinoza@denverpost.com
