Houston Dragon Boat Festival

Last updated
Houston Dragon Boat Festival
Genre dragon boat racing
Datesfirst weekend of May
Location(s) Buffalo Bayou, Houston, Texas
Years activeSince 2001
Website http://www.texasdragonboat.com

The Houston Dragon Boat Festival is held in Houston, Texas. The Houston Dragon Boat Festival is a race down Buffalo Bayou, using decorated canoes called "dragon boats".

Contents

History

The first festival was held in October 2001 at Allen's Landing in downtown Houston. [1] In 2004, the festival added a second event – the Gulf Coast International Dragon Boat Regatta held in October at Clear Lake Park. 2005 saw the festival host the U.S. Central Region Championships in conjunction with the Gulf Coast International regatta. [2]

In 2020 officials had to move to fall that year caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Boathouse

The Texas Dragon Association plans to build the first boathouse along the downtown Bayou for non-motor boat craft. The Houston Endowment donated $75,000 to build the boathouse at 501 N. York Street. [3]

Related Research Articles

Houston Largest city in Texas

Houston is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas, fourth most populous city in the United States, most populous city in the Southern United States, as well as the sixth most populous in North America, with an estimated 2019 population of 2,320,268. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the seat of Harris County and the principal city of the Greater Houston metropolitan area, which is the fifth most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States and the second most populous in Texas after the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, with a population of 6,997,384 in 2018.

Pasadena, Texas City in Texas, United States

Pasadena is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, within the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the city's population is 149,043, making it the seventeenth most populous city in the state of Texas, as well as the second-largest city in Harris County. The area was founded in 1893 by John H. Burnett of Galveston, who named the area after Pasadena, California, because of the perceived lush vegetation.

Seabrook, Texas City in Texas, United States

Seabrook is a city in Harris County in the U.S. state of Texas, with some water surface area located within Chambers County. The population was 11,952 at the 2010 census. Several fish markets line the city's waterfront, while antique shops and bed and breakfast establishments are found in the city's downtown area. The city is home to several miles of trails, which connect multiple city parks to each other.

Greater Houston Metropolitan area in Texas, United States

Greater Houston, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States, encompassing nine counties along the Gulf Coast in Southeast Texas. With a population of 6,997,384 people as of 2018 census estimates and over 7 million in 2019, Greater Houston is the second-most populous in Texas after the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The approximately 10,000-square-mile (26,000 km2) region centers on Harris County, the third-most populous county in the U.S., which contains the city of Houston—the largest economic and cultural center of the South—with a population of more than 2.3 million. Greater Houston is part of the Texas Triangle megaregion along with the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, Greater Austin, and Greater San Antonio. Greater Houston also serves as a major anchor and economic hub for the Gulf Coast. Its Port of Houston is the second largest port in the United States, sixteenth largest in the world, and leads the nation in international trade.

Clear Lake City (Greater Houston) Housing development in Texas, United States

Clear Lake City is a master-planned community located in southeast Harris County, Texas, within the Bay Area of Greater Houston. It is the second-largest master-planned community in Houston — behind Kingwood. The majority of the community lies in the corporate limits of Houston, while a northern portion is in the city limits of Pasadena and a small eastern portion within the city limits of Taylor Lake Village.

The Port of Houston is one of the world's largest ports and serves the metropolitan area of Houston, Texas. The port is a 50-mile-long complex of diversified public and private facilities located a few hours' sailing time from the Gulf of Mexico. Located in the fourth-largest city in the United States, it is the busiest port in the U.S. in terms of foreign tonnage, second-busiest in the U.S. in terms of overall tonnage, and sixteenth-busiest in the world. Though originally the port's terminals were primarily within the Houston city limits, the port has expanded to such a degree that today it has facilities in multiple communities in the surrounding area. In particular the port's busiest terminal, the Barbours Cut Terminal, is located in Morgan's Point.

Regatta series of boat races

A regatta is a series of boat races. The term comes from the Venetian-Italian language regata meaning "contest" and typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas. A regatta often includes social and promotional activities which surround the racing event, and except in the case of boat type championships, is usually named for the town or venue where the event takes place.

Clear Lake (region) region in Texas, United States

Clear Lake, or the Clear Lake Area, is a region in parts of Harris and Galveston County in Texas, United States. It is part of the Galveston Bay Area, which itself is a section of the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. The area is geographically characterized by the bodies of water in it and around it, including Clear Lake, Taylor Lake, Clear Creek, and Galveston Bay.

University of Houston–Clear Lake

The University of Houston–Clear Lake (UHCL) is a public university in Pasadena and Houston, Texas, with branch campuses in Pearland and Texas Medical Center. It is part of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1971, UHCL has an enrollment of nearly 9,000 students for fall 2018.

Landrys, Inc. American restaurant company

Landry's, Inc., is an American, privately owned, multi-brand dining, hospitality, entertainment and gaming corporation headquartered in Houston, Texas. Landry's, Inc. owns and operates more than 600 restaurants, hotels, casinos and entertainment destinations in 35 states and the District of Columbia. The company also owns and operates numerous international locations.

Buffalo Bayou river in Harris County, Texas, United States of America

Buffalo Bayou is a slow-moving river which flows through Houston in Harris County, Texas. Formed 18,000 years ago, it has its source in the prairie surrounding Katy, Fort Bend County, and flows approximately 53 miles (85 km) east through the Houston Ship Channel into Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to drainage water impounded and released by the Addicks and Barker reservoirs, the bayou is fed by natural springs, surface runoff, and several significant tributary bayous, including White Oak Bayou, Greens Bayou, and Brays Bayou. Additionally, Buffalo Bayou is considered a tidal river downstream of a point 440 yards (400 m) west of the Shepherd Drive bridge in west-central Houston.

Timeline of historical events of Houston, Texas, USA:

Bayou City Art Festival Arts festival held in Houston, Texas

The Bayou City Art Festival is an arts festival held biannually by the Art Colony Association in Houston, Texas. The festival is held in Memorial Park in the spring and in Downtown Houston in the fall.

Allens Landing

Allen's Landing is the officially recognized birthplace of the city of Houston, Texas, United States, the largest city in Texas and the fourth largest in the United States. Located in Downtown Houston between the Main Street and Fannin Street viaducts, the landing encompasses the southern bank of Buffalo Bayou, the city's principal river, at its confluence with White Oak Bayou, a major tributary. Allen's Landing is located south of the University of Houston–Downtown Commerce Street Building.

Geography of Houston

Houston, the most populous city in the Southern United States, is located along the upper Texas Gulf Coast, approximately 50 miles (80 km) northwest of the Gulf of Mexico at Galveston. The city, which is the ninth-largest in the United States by area, covers 601.7 square miles (1,558 km2), of which 579.4 square miles (1,501 km2), or 96.3%, is land and 22.3 square miles (58 km2), or 3.7%, is water.

White Oak Bayou river in the United States of America

White Oak Bayou is a slow-moving river in Houston, Texas. A major tributary of the city's principal waterway, Buffalo Bayou, White Oak originates near the intersection of Texas State Highway 6 and U.S. Highway 290 and meanders southeast for 25 miles (40 km) until it joins Buffalo Bayou in Downtown. The river serves as a greenway which connects Downtown to the Houston Heights, Oak Forest, Garden Oaks, and Inwood Forest.

Galveston Bay Area Region in Texas, United States of America

The Galveston Bay Area, also known as Bay Area Houston or simply the Bay Area, is a region that surrounds the Galveston Bay estuary of Southeast Texas in the United States, within Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. Normally the term refers to the mainland communities around the bay and excludes Galveston as well as most of Houston.

History of the Galveston Bay Area

For a period of over 7000 years, humans have inhabited the Galveston Bay Area in what is now the United States. Through their history the communities in the region have been influenced by the once competing sister cities of Houston and Galveston, but still have their own distinct history. Though never truly a single, unified community, the histories of the Bay Area communities have had many common threads.

Houston International Festival, also known as iFest, is a contemporary, multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural arts and music festival held annually in Houston, Texas. This North American festival takes place every April on 16 acres (65,000 m2) in downtown Houston's parks and plazas. By city ordinance this annual 10-day event is Houston's official city celebration of the visual and performing arts. According to an article in the Houston Chronicle, Ifest announced in June 2014 that it was seeking Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection, making it clear that the 2014 fest would be the last ever festival.

Houston Yacht Club

The Houston Yacht Club is the oldest yacht club in Texas. It is located in LaPorte, near Houston. HYC is a member of the Gulf Yachting Association.

References

  1. Sarnoff, Nancy (2001-10-15). "Beware of floating dragons on the bayou". Houston Business Journal.
  2. "A Year of Corporate Philanthropy: October 2005". Houston Business Journal. 2005-11-11. Wal-Mart was presenting sponsor of the second annual Gulf Coast International Dragon Boat Regatta at Clear Lake Park, which helps increase awareness of Asian and Asian-American culture.
  3. "Buffalo Bayou to get boathouse". Houston Business Journal. 2007-01-16.