Chinese traditions to be unfurled at the Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival 🐲

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Dragon boat racing, an ancient Chinese tradition, is ready to make waves in Milwaukee.

Lakeshore State Park is preparing to host the 2023 Milwaukee Dragon Boat Festival, a vibrant display of Chinese culture, AAPI heritage and captivating boat races. The festival is spearheaded by the Milwaukee Chinese Community Center, among other sponsors.

Whitney Ruiz, Activity Director, Lynnette LeClair, Program Director and Yujing Wang, Marketing Director, joined us on Tuesday, July 18 to provide details of the upcoming festival and races, which will have participation from 43 registered teams.

The festival features more than just boat races. Attendees can engage in a variety of cultural activities such as creating traditional opera masks and lanterns, learning the Chinese language and writing and participating in traditional games.

In addition to the cultural showcase, the festival will have a beer garden with a selection of Molson Coors beers. Among the offerings will be PiJo, a special beer brewed exclusively for the festival.

The dragon boat races, the primary attraction of the festival, will see teams maneuver boats that can be up to 100 feet long. These boats, adorned with intricate dragon designs, symbolize strength, power and teamwork.

The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 12. More information can be found by clicking here.