Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Race

What is the Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Race?

PORTLAND ROSE FESTIVAL DRAGON BOAT RACE WEEKEND IS THE SECOND WEEKEND AFTER MEMORIAL DAY!

June 7-8, 2025 8 am to 4 pm
South Hawthorne Waterfront Park

The PKSCA is excited to present the Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Race, the 2nd Saturday after Memorial Day, at the South Hawthorne Waterfront Park.

South Hawthorne Waterfront Park, Portland, OR, 2nd Saturday after Memorial Day – The Portland-Kaohsiung Sister City Association (PKSCA) presents the Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat race annually. The race is the second Weekend of June and is free and open to the public. This race involves around 50 teams, Women’s, Mixed, Open, and High School, racing in the incredibly special traditional-style Dragon Boats from Taiwan. Each race has 4 teams compete by sprinting 500m down the Willamette River ending at the bowl in the South Hawthorne Waterfront Park where their flag catcher reaches out from the dragon’s head to capture their flag.

Saturday’s heats define the playoff bracket, and Sunday is when they compete for their medals. The opening ceremony is Saturday, 8 am June 8th. Races run from 8:00 am till around 4 pm Saturday and Sunday. The awards ceremony takes place around 3:30 on Sunday . Come enjoy Race weekend with us, there will be food and retail vendors, and many exciting races for all to enjoy on the waterfront at 1403 S Harbor Way, Portland, OR 97201. The event is free and open to the public.

The first Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Race was put on by the PKSCA in June of 1989, 34 years ago. The race attracts teams from the Pacific Northwest and around the world. The traditional-style boats are unique and incredibly special. Each of the 8 boats is just over 40’ long with a colorful dragon head molded in fiberglass on the front and a tail in the back. During a race each boat has a caller, a drummer, 20 paddlers, a flag catcher, and a tiller.

The race ends after a 500 meter dash when the flag catcher climbs the dragon head and reaches out to capture the flag. Each team has its own culture and story, made up of people 14 and up, from all walks of life drawn together by their love for Dragon Boat racing. This year we are introducing an Open Division, with no gender restrictions. It is a rare sport where everyone is seen and treated as equals, and where there is access for so many. Dragon boating is for everyone, every age, every ability, every body.

Why Dragon Boat Racing?

Dragon boating is the fastest-growing team water sport in the world. Why does a sport which consists of 20 paddlers in a long heavy Traditional-Style Dragon Boat with a tiller in the back and a drummer in the front racing against other boats appeal to so many? The sport can be extremely competitive, but encourages team building and challenges people from different backgrounds, shapes, and sizes while having fun. The sport also has a tradition of easy access and inclusion.

For many who do dragon boating, it is a life-changing sport. It is rare to find a sport where everyone is seen and treated as equals, and where there is access for so many. In dragon boating nothing matters except how well you can move the boat with your paddle as a team. Dragon boaters are a special type of athlete and here is why….Learn More

Lodging for Race Weekend

Each year the Race Committee coordinates with local hotels near the park to negotiate bulk rates for our Dragon Boat Racers, both those from out-of-town as well as local participants. The information regarding these options will be emailed to each captain as well as a link made available under the Quick Information section at the top of this page…Learn More

For spectators, there are ample options throughout the region. As the Dragon Boat Race takes place during the Portland Rose Festival, we do recommend you book early as it is a very popular event throughout Downtown Portland, Oregon.

How to Participate in our Dragon Boat Race

Create a Team
At the beginning of each year Team Registration opens for the Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Race (Jan 2, 2025) and runs until early May (May 7, 2025). While Dragon Boating is a competitive sport there is no previous experience or expertise required. What is needed is an interest in learning something new, joy for being on the water, building a community in your team, and have fun.

Ages 14 and up are all welcome, from any background and walk of life. For example, we have teams that are all breast cancer surivors, corporate teams, special needs teams (including deaf and blind), LGBTQ+, Senior Citizen teams, High-School teams, as well as competitive year round teams. We have 3 divisions, Women’s, Mixed, and Open, broken into subdivisions to allow for competitive racing across levels…Learn More

Join an Existing Team
While the PKSCA cannot directly place a person on an existing team we can help facilitate introductions. We have a very diverse group of teams and there is an introductory form which can help us get to know you and your interests. This information helps us find the best fit for you…Learn More

Volunteer
Each local team provides 2 volunteers for our race weekend. In addition, we have annual pre-race, race weekend, and post-race volunteer needs. You can register for these here. For permanent/semi-permanent/professional volunteers please view our Volunteer Positions.

Donate
You can make a general donation to the Portland-Kaohsiung Sister City Association, or there is a dropdown to select. To learn about our corporate/institutional sponsorship opportunities please check out our Sponsorship page. We also have information about direct team sponsorship there.

What is Race Weekend like?

Race Weekend is an exciting event. The Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Race is held at the South Hawthorne Waterfront Park, the same location as the Blues Festival. Each team is assigned a tent where they can prep, store their food and equipment, and mingle with their friends, family, and fans. The bowl leads all the way to the water, with an amazing vantage point of the races.

Each year we invite vendors that supply Food/Drink, Arts & Crafts, Retail, and Information. They can be found on the North End of the bowl towards the Hawthorne Bridge.

Each race is 500m long and ends near the bowl itself. Announcers call each race over a PA system so that all can hear who is racing and be made aware of any announcements. It is highly recommended that you check the weather for race weekend and plan accordingly. The event space is grass covered with a lot of ducks roaming around. Many choose to bring blankets, chairs, food and drink, and rain gear if needed.

Drugs and alcohol are not permitted within the park. Street parking is within walking distance, as are a few parking garages. There are bathrooms on site for racers and spectators. The event is free and open to the public…Learn More