Pensacola Dragon Boat Festival – October 12th
FREE TO THE PUBLIC!
There will be Food Trucks, Arts & Crafts Vendors, Music and Family Fun
The 10TH Annual 2024 Pensacola Dragon Boat Festival is a festival brought to you by your local Northeast Pensacola Sertoma Club, Inc.
On October 12TH, 2024, up to 40 teams, supported by thousands of spectators, will be competing for bragging rights in the 10TH Annual Pensacola Dragon Boat Festival. The races start at 8:00 AM on Bayou Texar, just off Bayview Park, near Downtown Pensacola
2000 E Lloyd St, Pensacola, FL 32503.
NE Pensacola SERTOMA was founded in 1988 for the purpose of contributing to the Greater Pensacola Community in as many ways as possible by raising money and supporting community organizations and charities. SERTOMA is an organization of business and professional people knit together in bonds of personal friendship and united in the idea of service in their community. SERTOMA is a 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 not-for-profit international organization. Every year Sertoma clubs raise more than $20 million for local community service projects. Through these projects, as well as grants and scholarships, Sertoma clubs return those funds to their respective communities – and they have loads of fun doing it while building life-long friendship.
What is a Dragon Boat Race?
Dragon boating originated in Hong Kong in 1976, but its historical roots can be traced back to more than 2,000 years ago in China. During races, dragon boaters typically paddle in sync along a 250m or 500m racecourse toward the finish line. You may be surprised to learn that it is one of the fastest growing team sports in the world. There are more than 50 million people worldwide participating in dragon boating each year. Teams and competitions are currently found in over 57 nations.
A dragon boat is a long, narrow canoe that seats 20 paddlers in 10 rows. A steersperson standing in the stern uses a 9’ oar as a rudder and a drummer at the bow of the boat by the dragon’s head.
