Las Colinas Dragon Boat Festival a success

by Jeff Melcher

The first of what organizers intend to be an annual Asian-American heritage celebration kicked off at 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning. Elected officials (especially those seeking re-election) from area cities read proclaimations; mixed troupes of Anglos, Blacks, Asians and Hispanics danced the traditional "Lion" and "Dragon" dances; Thai, Phillipine' Japanese and Chinese foods in several varieties were being hawked alongside hot dogs and nachos, and the wind flipped over the administrative pavilion. A better example of the conventions, fusions, and confusions of American Culture could not be imagined.

The boat races featured teams from area social clubs and companies, but the boats themselves were provided by professional sportsmen from the Texas Dragon Boat Racing Association. (Did you know there was such a sport? I didn't. ) Teams of 20 to 25 comprised of men and women paddlers, one tiller operator, a drummer and a captain ran several heats, overseen by the usual bunch of kayakers, gondolas, and other boaters of Las Colinas' Lake Carolyn.

If the lines at the porta-potties were any indication, turn-out for the event was well in excess of expectations. The sun was shining, the kites were flying, and everyone concerned seemed to be making plans for how to make it even better next year.

This story was submitted by a member of the Pegasus News community