Colorado Dragon Boat and Adams County look forward to the third iteration of the Dragon Boat Regatta on Mann-Nyholt Lake at Riverdale Regional Park, 9755 Henderson Rd., Brighton. This regatta will be on Sunday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“We are so grateful to continue our partnership with Adams County and Riverdale Regional Park,” says Sara Moore, executive director of Colorado Dragon Boat. “It is amazing to see the investment from the county toward increasing diversity and culture at Riverdale Regional Park, and Colorado Dragon Boat is honored to be a part of this expansion.”
The regatta will have a festival feel with performances, an Asian Marketplace, a Dragonland area for kids, food trucks and dragon boat races throughout the day.
This event is free and open to the public. Guests can cheer on dragon boat teams as they race across Mann-Nyholt Lake with the Rocky Mountain backdrop. Attendees can also dance at the Dragon Harmony Stage and visit the Dragon Marketplace vendors to get some favorite Asian goodies. Kids will enjoy the Dragonland area which features fun and educational activities. And, everyone will enjoy food from the Dragon Delights Food Haven.
The 2023 Dragon Harmony Stage will have a full lineup of Asian American Native Hawiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) performances that will get the crowds up and dancing. Feel the beat with MUDRA Dance Taiko drums as they teach dance moves from India; learn how to break it down with step-by-step instructions from The Royals Dance Crew; and support the Maui Community after the devasting wildfires by learning about Polynesian music, language, and dance from Halau Kalama’s performance. They will also be selling leis onsite and all proceeds will go toward helping the Maui community rebuild. Click here for a schedule of performances.
New this year is the closing performance, which will take place at the Harmony stage at 3:30 p.m. after the race awards.
The Dragon Delights Food Haven area features a variety of food trucks for all tastes, including Adams County’s local food truck The Captain Taco & Sushi; the Rice Guy for an assortment of Asian food options; lumpia and adobo from the Little Kusina Food Truck that serves authentic Filipino food; and sweet treats and refreshments from The Alley (Boba Teas) and Kona Ice.
The Dragon Boat Regatta has its very own Dragonland area for kids and education next to the marketplace. Little ones can jump sky high with Eurobungy and then make their own Hawaiian kite at one of the interactive art booths.
In addition, the marketplace vendors will be selling beautiful Asian goodies. All proceeds from the marketplace go directly to the vendors who are from the AANHPI community.
This regatta would not be complete without dragons. Colorado Dragon Boat was able to purchase NEW Dragon Boats this year. They will soar across Mann-Nyholt Lake all day Sunday, with more than 10 dragon boat teams competing for glory. Learn more about our dragon boat teams and how you might be able to get on a boat throughout the year.
Riverdale Regional Park is the year-round home for Colorado Dragon Boat’s Dragon Boats, and Mann-Nyholt Lake is a popular destination for dragon boat practices throughout the warmer months to practice, train, and race. Colorado Dragon Boat is honored to be in partnership with Adams County to bring more AANHPI culture and diversity to Riverdale Regional Park year-round.
Denver7 is a proud partner of Colorado Dragon Boat and the Dragon Boat Regatta
This article was paid for through an in-kind partnership.