30th annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival kicks off in Queens
NEW YORK -- A festive tradition returned to New York City on Saturday -- the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival.
CBS2's Astrid Martinez was there as the 30th annual celebration kicked off in Queens.
A sunny day with clear blue skies was the perfect way to welcome back the colorful and beloved tradition.
"A part of me was missing. You take away a part of me, and not only me, also a part of the dragon boat family," said Henry Wan, chairman of the festival.
The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival paddled its way back to Flushing Meadows Corona Park at full capacity for the first time since 2019.
"You can see the excitement today. So many teams. We have over 170 teams for this weekend," Wan said.
READ MORE: Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival returns this weekend at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park
"It's really a spectacular opportunity for building friendship and experiencing culture," said Candy Nip, director of the Hong Kong economic trade office in New York.
The Queens event is the oldest and longest running dragon boat festival in the country, and while for some it's entertaining, for others, it's fiercely competitive.
"We first started in 2015, so we're very excited. We had a great performance in 2019, our last race before the pandemic, so we're looking to top that performance," said Ling Xu, director of retail banking for Flushing Bank.
There's plenty to do on dry land, as well, with music performances and food stalls.
"If you look around here, you can see people from all walks of life coming to participate, and to be able to bring them together, it's a very good thing," Wan said.
The Dragon Boat Festival continues Sunday. Racing is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
