Thank you to all who made this year's Festival successful!

Check out what the Tampa Bay Lightning thought of the event:

2010 Event Recap

The 7th annual Tampa Bay International Dragon Boat Races hit Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park, the Marriott Waterside and waters of Garrison Channel on May 1st, 2010!  65 teams from local corporate and community groups as well as paddlers from across the U.S. and Canada vied to be Tampa's #1 Dragon Boat Team!  And who was the big winner??

TECO TAN ANOU!  click here for full results

This is a race run with exact precision, and professional equipment. 450m on the waters of Garrison Channel, with a fully buoyed 5-lane course, where the waters are always calm and the sun always shines the first weekend in May!  

The event kicked off at 8:30 in the morning with the Opening Ceremonies on the Marriott Waterside  patio, and the first race at 9am, with a heat running every 10 minutes.  Each team raced 3 times throughout the day, being seeded into a division, and then getting the chance to become a Division Champion!

During our first ever INTERNATIONAL FOOD AND BEER FESTIVAL from 11 am to 7 pm, athletes and spectators alike enjoyed food, beverage and entertainment in the Athlete's Village at Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park. The day's entertainment featured 3 live bands and kicked off at 11 am with Early Morning Project and followed by No Money Down. Asia Fest occurred simultaneously on the St. Pete Times Forum patio and featured Asian cultural performances, martial arts, a fashion show, and authentic Asian foods.

A Breast Cancer Ceremony was held during the lunch break where we celebrate the lives of men and women who have lost their battle to cancer over the years with a traditional pink carnation ceremony.

Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful sponsored the Recycle Regatta which took place during the lunch break. This was a 25 yard race for high school groups who made their own watercraft from at least 70% recycled material. In order to win the vessel needed to not only stay afloat, but be fast enough to win!

Following the Recycle Regatta was the Stand Up Paddleboarding demo race. Spectators and participants got a chance to see how Stand Up Paddling is really done by the experts.

Kahuna Board Riders was also there demonstrating some Land Paddling, and there was Tai Chi demonstrations from 1:00 – 1:30 pm and from 3:30 – 4:00 pm in the Athlete’s Village too!

More than 250 people participated in our International Food and Beer Festival's UNLIMITED BEER SAMPLING sponsored by Pepin Distributing. For just $25 patrons recieved a 5 oz cup and unlimited beer sampling from 2 pm to 7 pm!

The day finished off with a Paddler's Party in the Beer Garden until 7 pm! The party include live music from the Tampa band Velvet Jones, an awards ceremony, and free beer for paddlers!  Fun for the whole family!

View Larger Map