Orlando International Dragon Boat Festival October 4TH, 2025

Take part in an international showcase of paddlers hungry for the opportunity to stretch their racing season to the max at one of the largest dragon boat events in Florida.

Teams can expect the same great racing experience and continued development of the festival experience each year at Turkey Lake in Bill Frederick Park. Orlando delivers an unforgettable day of competition, including a 2k pursuit for top Mixed crews (a favorite among spectators).

Festival grounds are sure to be abuzz with vendors and entertainment. The Health and Wellness Village provides products and services to help participants and spectators lead healthy, active lives. Taste the international flavors offered at Food Truck Bazaar, then head over to the Asia Trend Cultural Expo for displays and performances highlighting the diverse and fascinating cultures found throughout Asia.

Compete against the most diverse pool of talent on the MLDB circuit and join us in celebrating another successful year of MLDB racing!

CALLING ALL SOLO PADDLERS OR SMALL GROUPS

Are you looking to get on the water, but don't have a team? GWN is pleased to offer programs for solo paddlers or small groups through our Experience Dragon Boat Programs!

Experience Dragon Boat Train and Race: A five-week program, with one practice per week and finishing up at the Major League Dragon Boat Festival in your community. This is a perfect opportunity to try the sport. We supply you with all the equipment needed - paddles and lifejackets – all you have to do is show up in clothes that can get wet!

Experience Dragon Boat Race Ready: A program designed for people looking for minimal commitment and just want to race. The program offers a 1-hour practice and then participation in the event.

Learn more about either program by clicking here.

INTRODUCING EVENT GUARD

Event Guard offers your team peace of mind against the unknown.

Cancellation or Postponement: If the event is cancelled or postponed more than 12 hours in advance of the scheduled first race, receive a full refund.

Cancel for Any Reason: Cancel anytime up to 30 days in advance of the event for any reason and receive a full refund.

Event Guard for this event is $95 plus any applicable taxes.

PRICE INCREASE IN 42 DAYS

EVENT SPECS

SRDBA Member

Mixed, Women's, Open, ACP, BCP, Paradragons

Distance: 500m, 2K

Inflatable PFDs Allowed

BCP / ACP Ceremony

Industry Cups

Health & Wellness Village

Live Entertainment

Cultural Expo

Food Truck Bazaar

Beer Garden

EVENT Details

Hover over each tab for more details

View All Event Details

Pricing

Location

Schedule

Awards

Entertainment

Vendors

Parking

Volunteer

Pricing

PRICING

Category	# of Races	Before Jan 1st	Before July 1st	After July 1st
Mixed / Women's / Open / ACP / BCP / Paradragons / Senior 55+ (3 x 500m)	3	$1,145	$1,245	$1,395
Mixed / Women's / Open / ACP / BCP / Paradragons / Senior 55+ (Out-of-State) (3 x 500m)	3	$995	$1,095	$1,195
Mixed / Women's / Open / ACP / BCP / Paradragons / Senior 55+ (Out-of-Country) (3 x 500m) NOTE: Out-of-Country Rate does not qualify for MLDB rewards.	3	$600	$675	$750
Combination Team (Women's / Open) (3 x 500m) MUST consist of at least 90% of paddlers participating on a primary team.	3	$545	$595	$645
Practice Sessions		$100 each
At least 3 teams must be registered in a division. Any division with less than 3 teams registered will be amalgamated into the next closest racing division offered. To ensure races run smoothly, smaller divisions may be combined in heats but will race independently of each other.

Team fees are in USD and do not include applicable taxes (6.5% sales tax).

Payment Methods: We accept Visa, Mastercard, or Check.

Paying by check: You will receive a discount of $25 USD. This discount will be automatically applied during the registration process.

For more information (i.e. refund policy, multi-event discount, etc), please visit our FAQ page.

Registration Process for tax-exempt teams: Register your team, choose the "check" option on the payment page. Please email your valid tax-exemption certificate to info@gwnevents.com along with the invoice number and method of payment (check or credit card). GWN will send you an invoice without taxes, if paying by credit card, an authorization form will be sent.

Registration Add-Ons

Each team registered at the festival will get a 20 x 20 team site (footprint, not tent rental) within the Athletes' Village. Teams have the option to bring their own tent or rent one from GWN. In addition to tents, chairs and tables are also available. For more information on rentals, please refer to the "Athletes' Village" tab below. Teams may also order practices, for more information please refer to the "Practice" tab below.

Location

LOCATION

Address: The event will be held at Bill Frederick Park (Turkey Lake). 3401 S Hiawassee Road, Orlando, FL 32835

Site Map: Stay tuned for the 2025 event site map.

Park Rules: We're committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for participants and spectators. Before heading out to the races, there are some things you should know:

No dogs are allowed at Bill Frederick Park.

Cooking equipment and BBQ grills are not permitted on site.

Alcoholic beverages are not allowed on site.

Teams are responsible for picking up their waste within their team sites. In addition to handing out waste bags during team check-in, there will be wastebaskets located throughout the Athletes' Village to maintain the park's cleanliness. Let's all work together to keep Bill Frederick Park clean and green.

Medical Services: Medical services and first aid will be available on site. If you're in need of medical attention, please report to the medical tent for immediate assistance.

Schedule

SCHEDULE

The 2025 Race Schedule will be posted on Monday September 29th.

At least 3 teams must be registered in a division. Any division with less than 3 teams registered will be amalgamated into the next closest racing division offered.

To ensure races run smoothly, smaller divisions may be combined in heats but will race independently of each other.

Industry Cup Races: To qualify for a Cup race, at least 70% of the crew must be part of the same company or industry. Please note, teams noted with the initials of the industry, i.e. Public Services = PS are teams racing in the noted industry cup.

Live Results
Get live race results and progressions on race day using your phone. Visit gwnresults.com

Race Marshaling
Marshaling on race day will begin a half-hour before the first race of the day. Teams must be in the Marshalling area 30 minutes before their scheduled race throughout the day.

Race Day Check-In
Every Team Captain must check-in their team at Race Headquarters on race day. Registration will be open from approximately 7:00AM to 10:00AM. All waivers must be completed prior to check-in. Please visit the FAQ section for more information on how to check in on race day.

For a speedy check-in, ensure that all waivers for your team are completed. The electronic waiver deadline is 11:59AM EST on Wednesday, October 1st. 2025. After this, only paper copies will be accepted.

Team Captain's Meeting
There will be a Team Captain's meeting in front of the Marshaling Area to discuss race day rules and address any questions, one hour prior to the first race.

Awards

AWARDS

Industry Cup Races: First-place teams will receive a trophy and gold medals.

Consolation Finals: First-place teams will receive a trophy and gold medals.

Grand Finals: Third and second-place teams will receive bronze and silver medals, respectively. First-place teams will receive a trophy and gold medals.

Awards Ceremonies

Ceremonies will take place after each Industry Cup, Consolation Race, and Grand Final Race. GWN Staff will gather the gold medal-winning team as they come off the water. They will be escorted directly to the stage in the Beer Garden. Bronze and silver medal-winning teams will receive their medals in the dock area.

Entertainment

ENTERTAINMENT

Stay tuned for the 2025 schedule of events.

Vendors

VENDORS

Asian Cultural Expo presented by Asia Trend:

TBA

Marketplace:

TBA

Artisan Village:

TBA

Food Vendors:

TBA

Interested in being a vendor? Email us at info@gwnevents.com to learn more.

Parking

PARKING

Pre-Event Practice Parking

Parking will be available at Bill Frederick Park during practices on Saturday November 2nd for $5.00 per vehicle (exact payment is preferred). Upon entering the park, please follow directional signs to the festival parking area.

Race Day Parking

Free parking will be available at Bill Frederick Park on Race Day. Upon entering the park, please let the front gate know that you are with the dragon boat festival and follow directional signs to the festival parking area.

Bill Frederick Park Front Gate will open at approximately 6:45AM (exact time will be determined the week of the event).

To help cut down on congestion in and out of the park, carpooling to the event is strongly recommended. It is best to plan extra time so that you are not delayed getting to your team tent.

Download the parking map here.

Directions

From Jct of I-4 (exit 75B) & SR-435/Kirkman Rd-N: Go N 1.5 mi on Kirkman Rd, then W 1.5 mi on Conroy Rd, then N 0.9 mi Hiawassee Rd. (R)

Volunteer

VOLUNTEER

Looking to have some fun on the docks? GWN is always looking for fantastic volunteers.

As a volunteer, you'll have the opportunity to be a part of the exciting and fast-paced action that is dragon boat racing. You'll also get to experience the energy and excitement of the festival event atmosphere and be a part of a vibrant community of dragon boat enthusiasts. Volunteers will be needed to help with various tasks in ensuring the safety and smooth operations of the event through the various outlined tasks:

Boat Marshalls: Will be on the dock assisting paddlers with getting in and out of the boats. This position should be filled by people who are comfortable around the water.
Results Runners: Will be posting the results from the Timing Officials at the Registration Headquarters. This position requires neat handwriting.
Team Marshalls: Will assist the Marshalling Manager in ensuring that all teams are ready to load into boats at the correct time to maintain smooth running of the races.
Crowd Control: Will ensure one-way flow traffic from the Marshalling Area after boats are unloaded.

If you would like to volunteer, we can promise some food, drinks, a really cool shirt, and community service hours (if applicable) so please complete this Volunteer Form to join our team! To get more info or ask any questions, feel free to send us an email at volunteers@gwnevents.c o m.