If you’ve been having a recurring dream about racing a dragon down the river, this is your lucky day!
You can be part of what Laura Bryant of the Recreation Department said are New Hampshire’s first-ever dragonboat races during the Weekend on the Water festival at Kiwanis Riverfront Park on Sept. 7 (Note: recurring dragon nightmare not a prerequisite to participate.)
Final details of the afternoon are still being hammered out, but there will be food trucks and live music as well as races. Really, though, you had us at food trucks.
Now it’s time for teams to enter the fray, and the recreation department wants to hear from you. Boats will feature teams of 22, with 20 paddlers, a drummer and a helmsman (the helmsman will be provided by sponsor and provider of all equipment, 22 Dragons Montreal). All teams are guaranteed at least three races.
Teams can have a minimum of 16 participants and a maximum of 25. Cost per team is $950 if entered prior to June 1 and $1,050 after June 1.
For those interested in entering without a full team, the recreation department is creating two squads, and you can join one of them for $60.
The hope is to turn the event into an annual festival that can act as kind of a sister event to Black Ice, Bryant said. But that can only happen if you get in that boat!
Entrant information and a video detailing dragonboat racing can be found at the Parks and Recreation website at concordparksandrec.com. Just click special events on the left hand side, and then click Weekend on the Water.
For more information, you can email Bryant at lbryant@concordnh.gov or call her at 225-8690.