Dragon boats another success

Someone asked me, “Why do so many people flock to Waterford Green to see the Dragon Boats?”  I asked Veronique Arsenault (one of the organizers) the same question.

“It’s a unique event,” she said. “It’s not something you see every day, and people really like it because it is a very family friendly event.”

She’s right.  There were kids getting their faces painted, their nails painted, and playing at the Dragon Park (the playground at Waterford Green, aptly named, I might add.)  There were fire eaters and jugglers, there was the Peacemaker docked nearby, and the Chatham Historic Business District had dozens of vendors on the street.  The street was closed to car traffic, and was lined with booths and shoppers.

What else makes it such a great event?  ”It’s the type of event that does not need a lot of skill,” Veronique added.  ”With a little instruction, you can be right ut there racing.  And it’s suitable for all fitness levels.  you could have grandparents racing against their grandkids.  It’s really a lot of fun!”

Thought the final numbers are not in, she says she thinks they made more money this year than last year.  There were 26 teams, each with 21 members.  She said teams did a great job fundraising this year, and that will help add to the total.  The Rotary has 41 members, but the grand total of people who help make the event possible is probably closer to 100.

The winning team was the gang from Caraquet – they have bragging rights as they are repeat champions.

Here are some pictures from the day in downtown Chatham.  Thanks to Kevin McGraw  for the photos.  See more of Kevin’s GREAT work HERE.