Dallas hosts its first-ever AAPI Heritage and Dragon Boat Festival

Carl Samson
·2 min read

[Source]

Dallas celebrated its inaugural AAPI Heritage and Dragon Boat Festival over the weekend, bringing people together for a vibrant cultural experience.

Key points:

  • The festival highlighted dragon boat racing, a sport that traces its roots to ancient China.

  • Local team Dallas United Crew (DUC) Delite demonstrated the sport in a race on White Rock Lake.

  • The event also featured performances, workshops, food, merchandise, a photo exhibit and a film screening.

The details:

  • Around 7,000 people attended Dallas’ first AAPI Heritage and Dragon Boat Festival, which took place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday at the Bath House Cultural Center at White Rock Lake. Organizers include the City of Dallas and the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the National Association of Asian American Professionals.

  • The festival recognized “the historical, cultural and artistic contributions of individuals and groups of Asian and Pacific Islander descent in North Texas.” Aside from a dragon boat race, it featured performances, workshops, food, merchandise, a photo exhibit and a film screening.

 

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  • Local team DUC Delite demonstrated the race, which consisted of boats with 20 paddlers each. Founded 12 years ago, the team has since grown in membership, with some even competing in the world championship last year.

  • The event's photo and oral history exhibit featured stories of Vietnamese Americans in North Texas, led by historian Betsy Brody. The Dallas Asian American Historical Society also previewed its documentary series "Hear Me Roar," set to premiere on May 30.

  • Festival organizers said the event aimed to uplift and strengthen the AAPI community. Emily Ponchelle of the city’s Office of Arts and Culture told NBC DFW:

“It's also been really important for the city of Dallas to grow our networks within the AAPI community because I feel like that's an area where we haven't had much involvement, so this is something that's kind of like a first step for the city of Dallas and the Office of Arts and Culture to develop and cultivate more of those relationships.”

  • Other events celebrating AAPI Heritage Month were held elsewhere in North Texas over the weekend, including in Garland, Grand Prairie and McKinney.

 

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