Treasure Island Dragon Boat Festival October 4, 2008

About 20,000 people will attend the Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday and Sunday, October 4 & 5. Held at Treasure Island, the Festival includes boat races, music and dance, a marketplace, international food and family/children's activities. Admission is free. We'll have a booth where we'll register voters, sign up volunteers and sell window signs, buttons and bumper stickers. The festival runs from 10 am to 5 pm. We'll have two shifts - 10 am to 1:30 pm, and 1:30 pm to 5 pm. If different hours work better for you, just let us know. PLEASE NOTE We will be there both Saturday and Sunday. There doesn't seem to be a way to show that using this event page. So the date shown is Saturday's, BUT IT'S A SATURDAY and SUNDAY EVENT. There's a free shuttle service to Treasure Island, and Muni goes there too. We'll send you detailed info on both via email. Here's a little background about dragon boat racing - Dragon boat competitions feature boats of 20 paddlers, a drummer and a steers person paddling to cross the finish faster than their competition. It's a team sport in its purest form that encompasses the elements of power, speed, synchronization and endurance. With its beginnings in Southern China, dragon boating today is the fastest growing international team water sport. Each year, race festivals are held around the world in Asia, Australia, Canada, Europe and the United States, one of the largest festivals in the North America is held right here in the San Francisco Bay Area. The appeal to dragon boating is mainly contributed to the sport’s ability to accommodate a wide spectrum of skill levels ranging from novice to competitive. At the novice and recreational level, teams often form as a means of social outlet, team building and an alternative means of exercise. For the spectator, the true display of the sport’s intensity and skill is witnessed in the competitive ranks. Competitive paddlers rigorously train to condition themselves in the areas strength, endurance, form, mental focus and most importantly timing. Teams with well conditioned paddlers in near perfect synchronization, fueled by competition, provides an impressive event of a cascade of boats exploding through the water. At this level dragon boat racing becomes a sport of inches and an exciting event for its spectators.

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This event was submitted by MyBO. Be sure to RSVP for this event @ MyBO!

Official Website: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/gshqff