September 30, 2019
Thom Carroll/PhillyVoice
Racers of all levels will compete in the Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday, Oct. 5. Watch the races on the Schuylkill River between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 5, racers of all levels will compete in the annual Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival on the Schuylkill River.
Each colorful boat, adorned with a dragon's head and tail, will compete in three heats throughout the day. Onboard, each crew must have a steerer, a drummer and 20 paddlers.
Races will take place on the stretch of river near the St. Joseph's University's boathouse on Kelly Drive. The action will start around 8 a.m. and end around 5:30 p.m.
Spectators are invited to watch from the Schuylkill banks for free, and can bring blankets, chairs and picnics. There will be a concession area with food and drink, too.
Parking in East Fairmount Park will be $12. From there, free shuttle buses will bring spectators to the race area. Also, there will be a shuttle from Lloyd Hall by Boathouse Row. More information on the shuttle schedule can be found on the Dragon Boat Festival's website.
The annual event, now in its 18th year, celebrates the ancient Chinese tradition of dragon boat racing that goes back thousands of years.
Saturday, Oct. 5
8-5:30 p.m. | Free to attend
2200 Kelly Drive, Philadelphia PA 19129
Follow Sinéad & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @sineadpatrice | @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Add Sinéad's RSS feed to your feed reader
Have a news tip? Let us know.
