Dragon Boat Festival in Flushing Meadows

The Dragon Boat Festival on Meadow Lake in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park is an annual tradition now in its 22nd year. This August 9 and 10, 2014, over 170 teams will compete for prizes. Each team competes by rowing a "dragon boat," a narrow boat decorated like a Chinese dragon with a colorful head and tail.

There will be music, dancing, martial arts demonstrations, and more. Bring a chair and a sun-shading umbrella, and grab a prime space at the waterside pavilion on the north side (closest to Unisphere) of Meadow Lake. Last year the food vendors were overwhelmed by demand, so pack snacks.

• Dragon Boat Races, Meadow Lake, in Flushing Meadows Corona Park
• August 9 and 10, 2014, Races start at TBA but usually  9 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m., rain or shine
• Live music and other performances (free) TBA but usually from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m, both days. See schedule at organizer's site.
• Organized by: Hong Kong Boat Festival in New York
• Directions to Flushing Meadows Corona-Park

• The water! It's the only time of the year that Meadow Lake gets any respect.

• The warm welcome to an ethnic tradition. The audience for the Dragon Boat has grown beyond the ethnic Chinese community in nearby Flushing. Though I wouldn't call it a "multi-cultural" event, the festival does attract a wide variety of spectators -- and welcome as participants -- from outside the Asian community in Queens.

• It can be hard to follow the competition, especially for novice Dragon Boat spectators.

• The sun. August in Flushing Meadows can be brutal. There aren't many trees on the waterfront, and you'll need to wear a hat and wish you had an umbrella. Bring: hat, sunscreen, and water.