Dragon Boat Race - Toronto Hotels .com

In the heat of June, 180 teams, composed of more than 5,000 paddlers from all over the world, competing in 100 boat races over two short days along the center islands of Toronto. If this is your first taste of the ancient art of traditional Chinese dragon boat racing, then this is an event not to be missed. The dragon boats are decorated to resemble dragons, with long intricate heads and sweeping tails. These boats race across the water to the beats of a drummer, who is often called the "heartbeat" of the boat, and are powered by 10 to 50 paddlers.

When you grow tired of watching the friendly competition (if that's possible), there is a multicultural village, an international food pavilion, and a wide array of performances and traditional dances to sample, staged by Toronto's diverse ethnic communities.

URL: http://www.dragonboats.com/pages/home.html