Paddles Up! Dragon Boat Fest Hits the Water Aug. 19

SMCR will hold its seventh annual Solomons Island Dragon Boat Festival, presented by Cedar Point Federal Credit Union, on Saturday, August 19, on the Patuxent River along the Solomons Island Riverwalk.

The festival is a fun-filled event of friendly competition and team building while raising funds for much-needed programs for SMCR.

Race day is packed with teams of all sorts from Southern Maryland and beyond. A variety of entertainment, food trucks, artisan vendors, and kid-friendly activities will round out the event. The fun begins with the dragon boat races on the river and includes three areas in-keeping with ancient tradition: Team Village, Vendor Village, and Dragon’s Nest Children’s area.

Click here for details.

Dragon boat teams consist of 16 paddlers, a drummer, and a trained steer person. SMCR partners with 22Dragons to provide the boats and instructors, and they visit each year all the way from Montreal. Teams can be local businesses or special interest groups looking for some fun and to help raise funds for an excellent cause. Visit the teams page to see all of the partners.

Spectators are welcome. Race Day is approximately 9am to 3pm Aug. 19. Practice sessions occur from 5:30-7:30pm throughout the week leading up to the races and are open to the public to view from the Solomons Riverwalk. Additionally, this year there will be a Dotting of the Eye Ceremony at 6pm August 18 outside Our Lady Star of the Sea on Solomons Island, during which the public can help paint the dragons’ eyes to awake the sleeping beasts.

SMCR creates opportunities for people with disabilities, providing social, recreational, and educational programs for the entire community, with an emphasis on accessibility for those with developmental differences. To learn more about SMCR and its work, click here.