
Richmond International Dragon Boat Festival August 5th, 2023
Regarded as the liveliest festival stop on the MLDB circuit, Richmond is always a high-energy whirlwind of community rivalry mixed with team spirit. Embraced by local community teams, many festival attendees get creative with colorful uniforms, memorable costumes and zany tent displays in the Athletes’ Village.
Thanks to the city’s central location on the American East Coast, teams from across the eastern seaboard and beyond travel to join local crews for a fun day of dragon boat festivities on and off the water. Many out-of-towners extend their stay to discover the attractions that made Richmond one of Frommers’ Top Destinations for 2014, such as the Civil War Trails, white water rafting, local craft breweries, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 17th Street Farmers' Market, and the Edgar Allen Poe Museum.
Races take place on a 500m course with events for Mixed, Women's, Open, Breast Cancer Paddlers, All Cancer Paddlers and Paradragons teams. Local crews battle it out for the coveted Community Championship trophy.
Sign up your team and take part in the action on and off the water in Richmond. Take a break between races to check out the Health and Wellness Village, enjoy breathtaking live Chinese cultural performances, and of course, don't forget to unwind with a cold one at the festival's ever-popular beer garden.
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 Program!
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 by clicking here.











EVENT Details
Hover over each tab for more details
PRICING
Category |
# of Races |
Before May 1st |
Before June 1st |
After June 1st |
Mixed / Women's / Open / ACP / BCP / Paradragons (3 x 500m) |
3 |
$1,345 |
$1,545 |
$1,745 |
Mixed / Women's / Open / ACP / BCP / Paradragons (out-of-state) (3 x 500m) |
3 |
$1,045 |
$1,145 |
$1,345 |
Additional Practice Session |
$100 |
Prices are in USD.
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.
Team registration fee includes a 10x10 tent and 1 practice.
To ensure races run smoothly, smaller divisions may be combined in heats but will race independently of each other.
Registration Add-Ons
Teams have the option to upgrade their tent to a larger size from GWN. In addition to tents, chairs and tables are also available. For more information, please refer to the "Athletes' Village" tab below. Teams may also book additional practices, please see the "Practice" tab below for more information.
LOCATION
Address: Rocketts Landing is located at 4708 East Old Main Street, Richmond VA 23231
Site Map: The 2023 site map will be posted 1 week before event day
Directions:
From downtown Richmond: From E. Main Street or E. Cary Street, drive south on S. 14th Street. Turn left at the traffic light onto Dock Street. Proceed on Dock Street 1.4 miles and turn right on Main Street. Take Main Street (which becomes Old Osborne Turnpike) .2 miles to the Rocketts Landing Sales Center on your right.
From the Powhite Parkway and Downtown Expressway heading east: Take the 7th/9th Street exit. Stay right onto E. Byrd Street and proceed through the 9th Street traffic light. Immediately after crossing the Expressway underpass, turn right on Canal Street. At the end of Canal, turn right onto 14th Street. Follow directions from downtown Richmond.
From the north: Take I-95 south to exit 74B, Franklin Street. Continue on S. 15th Street until it ends. Turn left on Dock Street. Proceed on Dock Street 1.4 miles and turn right on Main Street. Take Main Street (which becomes Old Osborne Turnpike) .2 miles to the Rocketts Landing Sales Center on your right.
From the east or west: Take I-64 to I-95 south and follow the directions from the north.
From the south: Take I-95 north to exit 74C, Broad Street. At the first traffic light, Broad Street, turn left. Proceed four blocks and turn right on 21st Street. Go 7 blocks to its end and turn left onto Dock Street. Follow directions from downtown Richmond.
Venue Rules: We're committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for participants and spectators. Before heading out to the races, participants should know that the following is prohibited at Rocketts Landing: glass bottles, BBQs, and grills. Coolers are allowed. Every bag will be subject to a search, including coolers.
Alcoholic beverages are not permitted at the venue. Visit the beer garden on-site for a cold one!
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 venue's cleanliness. Let's all work together to keep Rocketts Landing clean.
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
The race schedule will be posted on Monday July 31st.
Industry Cup Races: To qualify for a Cup race, at least 70% of the crew must be part of the same company or industry.
Live Results
Get live race results and progressions on race day using your phone. Visit www.gwnresults.com
Race Marshaling
Marshaling for races will begin promptly half an 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 6:30AM to 9:30AM-all teams must be checked in by this time. 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, August 2nd. Online access to waivers will be restricted after the deadline, after which only paper copies will be accepted on Saturday morning.
Team Captain's Meeting
There will be a Team Captain's meeting on Saturday morning by the Performance Staging Area to discuss race day rules and answer any participants' questions, at 7:30AM, 1 hour prior to the first race.
AWARDS
Industry Cup: 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. Volunteers will gather the gold medal-winning team as they come off the water. They will be escorted directly to the stage. Bronze and silver medal-winning teams will receive their medals in the dock area.
The A Division Grand Final for Mixed, Women's, and Open ceremonies will take place after all races are completed on Saturday.
ENTERTAINMENT
The Richmond International Dragon Boat Festival will feature music, demonstrations, and authentic Chinese cultural performances throughout the day. Stay tuned for the 2023 schedule of events.
VENDORS
Beer Tent
Join the party at the beer tent! Enjoy the races with a cold brew in hand! Beer will be flowing from 11:00AM until close.
Marketplace
Gardner LaRochelle Orthodontics
Markel
Truist
Virginia Commonwealth University
Food Vendors
Asian Taste
RVA Street Foods Tacos & Shaved Ice
Interested in being a vendor? Email us at info@gwnevents.com to find out more.
PARKING
Street parking is very limited. Please see the below map for the highlighted parking lot.
Richmond's GRTC Pulse
To save the hassle of finding parking, take the GRTC Pulse, which stops right outside the venue. For more information on how to use the transit system click here.
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.com.
Additional Information
The official host hotel of the Richmond International Dragon Boat Festival is the Delta Hotels by Marriott Richmond Downtown.
Delta Hotels by Marriott Richmond Downtown
555 East Canal Street
Richmond, VA, 23219
Group Name: Richmond International Dragon Boat Festival
Group Rate: $189 USD per night plus applicable taxes
Room Block Deadline: Thursday, July 14th, 2023
Reservations: Book online or call 1-804-788-0900 or 1-844-781-7397
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RENTAL CARS
Discount rates have been negotiated with Hertz Rent-a-Car for Major League Dragon Boat participants.
Reservations
To book your vehicle, please click here and enter discount code CDP2188961 or call 1-800-654-2240 and quote the code.
At the time of reservation, you will receive 20% off the retail rate using the discount code above.
AIR TRAVEL
GWN is proud to offer Major League Dragon Boat participants discounts on flights with United Airlines and American Airlines.
United Airlines
Participants can save 5% - 10% off airfares if traveling within US 50 States and between US 50 States and Canada.
To book your travel, visit united.com or call 1-800-426-1122 and enter meeting code ZN4C999327 in the Promotions field.
Each team registered at the festival will get a 10'x10' team tent in the Athletes' Village. Teams have the option to upgrade their tent to a larger size. In addition to tents, chairs and tables are also available to rent.
Every footprint can be reserved as 10'x10' and 10'x20'. Select footprints can be reserved as a 20'x20' tent. These footprints are marked with an *.
Please note that due to city by-laws, teams cannot bring their personal tents to set up alongside event tents supplied by GWN.
Any team wishing to bring their own tent, may opt-out of a rental by notifying GWN in writing at least 10 days in advance of the event.
Please note that any tent(s) erected, must remain within the space provided and be no less than 10’ from all other tents. Furthermore, any combination of tents cannot exceed 200 sq. ft. without written approval from GWN. Failure to comply by these rules can result in disqualification from the event. There will be no reduction in the registration fee for opting to bring your own tent(s).
Team sites will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Teams must contact GWN to book their site after they have registered for the festival and paid their fees in full.
Teams wishing to upgrade their tent can place an order using the Online Crew Management Tool by clicking "Get More".
Product |
Price |
10' x 20' Tent Upgrade |
$300.00 |
20' x 20' Tent Upgrade |
$450.00 |
Chair Rental |
$5.00 |
Table Rental |
$25.00 |
Yeti Coolers |
$70.00 |
Tent Fan |
$135.00 |
Prices are in USD.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Download or view a copy of the 2023 Venue Map.
2. Review the site availability grid below.
3. Select a site based on availability.
4. Email your selection to bookings@gwndragonboat.com.
ATHLETES' VILLAGE SITE AVAILABILITY
Athletes' Village |
||
*1a. *1b. |
*2a. *2b. |
*3a. *3b. |
4a. 4b. |
5a. DCDBC Capital Punishment Team 5b. Capital Queens |
6. DC Dragons (10x17 Bringing their own) |
7a. Stay Calm and Paddle On 7b. Just Keep Rowing |
8a. 8b. |
9a. 9b. |
10. BDBC Paddling Fire (10x20) |
11a. 11b. |
12. Altria AGDC (10x20) |
13. PM USA Blazing Dragons (10x20) |
14. Altria Super STEMers (10x20) |
15a. 15b. |
16a. Philadelphia Chinatown Dragon Boat Team (10x10) 16b. |
17. Organized Chaos (10x20)
|
18a. 18b. |
19. Truist Bankers Aweigh (10x20) |
20. Truist Tridents (May we control the waters) (10x20) |
21a. McKesson Dragons |
*22. Kinsale Capital Group (10x20) |
*23. Woodfin (10x20) |
*24. BofA Dragonslayers (20x20)
|
*25BofA Dragonslayers 2 (20x20) |
*26a. *26b. |
*27a. *27b. |
*28. Virginia Credit Union Women's Team (10x20)
|
*29.Virginia Credit Union Mixed Team (20x20) |
*30a. *30b. |
*31a. *31b. |
*32a. *32b. |
*33a. *33b. |
PRACTICE AND RACE DAY PARKING
Street parking is very limited. Please see the below map for the highlighted parking lot.
Richmond's GRTC Pulse
To save the hassle of finding parking, take the GRTC Pulse, which stops right outside the venue. For more information on how to use the transit system click here.
TEAM PRACTICE INFO
Practices will be held on the James River at Rocketts Landing. The address is 5000 Old Osborne Turnpike Richmond, VA 23231.
Please arrive at the venue 15-20 minutes before your scheduled practice time. There will be lifejackets and paddles for use. A representative from Sports Backers / GWN will be on-site to check teams in, provide assistance, and collect waivers.
Please email carolyn@gwnevents.com your practice on-site contact.
ROSTER/WAIVERS
Waivers will be available on-site for any team member who has not completed their online waiver. Any last-minute changes can be done at your practice or at the event on race day.
WEATHER
We will paddle rain or shine! We ask that everyone show up for their scheduled practices regardless of the weather forecast. The session will only be canceled if there is thunder and lightning during our scheduled time. Coaches will determine on-site if it’s safe to go on the water or not because safety is our number one priority. If the weather is unfavorable, coaches may conduct on-land training or if it’s canceled, we will do our best to reschedule pending availability.
PRACTICE SCHEDULE
Wednesday, August 2nd |
Thursday, August 3rd |
Friday, August 4th |
|
4:00PM - 4:50PM |
1. Altria Super STEMers 2. |
1. Altria Super STEMers 2. |
1. 2. |
5:00PM - 5:50PM |
1. 2. |
1. PM USA Blazing Dragons 2. Altria AGDC |
1. PM USA Blazing Dragons 2. Altria AGDC |
6:00PM - 6:50PM |
1. Woodfin 2. |
1. Woodfin 2. |
1. Experience DB 2. |
7:00PM - 7:50PM |
1. 2. |
1. 2. |
1. 2. |
To view the 2023 Participant Checklist, click here.
Event Map
