Bucks County Dragon Boat Festival Is This Weekend

The 2nd Annual Bucks County Dragon Boat Festival will be held this Saturday, Sept. 24, at Lake Luxembourg in Core Creek Park, Langhorne.

The opening ceremony will be held at 7:30 a.m. at the boathouse and races will begin at 8 a.m. Races will continue throughout the day. The festival will feature more than 65 dragon boat racing teams of all skill levels. Plus there will be several health tents, restaurants and food trucks there.

The event is presented by the Bucks County Dragon Boat Association and sponsored by St. Mary Medical Center. Proceeds will benefit the Bucks County Housing Group food pantries, which operate in Doylestown, Penndel, and Milford Square.

There is no cost to attend the event as a spectator. Canned food donations are welcomed. The event is rain or shine.

The inaugural Bucks County Dragon Boat Festival was held in 2015. That event raised $31,000 and collected over 3,000 pounds of food for the BCHG.

"St. Mary is pleased to partner again this year with the Bucks County Dragon Boat Association to paddle out hunger in Bucks County," said Terri Rivera, Vice President of Mission and Community Health. "St. Mary will have more than 350 colleagues and physicians participating in this event to support those in need in our community. The Festival goal is to raise over $40,000 for the Bucks County Housing Group food pantries."

According to information from organizers, dragon boats are an ancient Chinese tradition dating back more than 2,000 years. "A dragon boat holds 20 paddlers, sitting two-by-two in a 41-foot-long boat. A steersperson stands in the back of the boat, guiding it along, while a drummer beats out the rhythm of the paddling. Dragon boating is a sport for all ages and all athletic levels," an event announcement said.

PHOTO: Submitted by Olivia Brangan, used with permission.