Frequently asked

General Questions →
Event Questions →
Team Questions →
Vendor Questions →

General Dragon Boat Questions

Dragon Boat Racing is a team sport that has its roots in ancient China. In the last 50 years, Dragon Boat Racing has been revitalized and its popularity has grown like wildfire. It is one of the fastest growing team sports in the world. There are more than 50 million people worldwide participating in Dragon Boat Racing each year. Teams and competitions are currently found in more than 57 nations.

Today’s dragon boats vary in size, but essentially are long, narrow racing canoes. The standard racing dragon boat measures approximately 14 meters (45 feet) with the head and tail.

Generally, 16-20 paddlers sit two paddlers per row. This year we are limiting the number of paddlers to 16 per race (BCS and Club Teams are permitted to have 20 paddlers). A steersperson stands in the rear of the boat and uses a long steering oar. A drummer sits on the front of the boat and beats out the cadence of the strokes. For this event, the steersperson, drummer (upon request), paddles, life jackets and dragon boats will be provided for you. This is a co-ed event. All teams must have a minimum of 8 women. No all-male teams will be allowed.

This sport is suitable for people of all ages, physiques and fitness levels, but you must be over 13 years old to participate in this event. It is one of the most inclusive sports around. There are community, corporate, breast cancer survivor, blind, paraplegic, senior, women’s, men’s, co-ed teams, and more. We regret that the boat can only accommodate a certain amount of weight to function properly, so people weighing over 300 pounds will not be able to participate. Each team will be required to have at least 10 of their paddlers attend an on-water practice to compete.

This is a rain or shine event. Please check back on our web site for any weather or condition updates before you head to the festival. Any changes or delays will be posted on the web site.

Event-Specific Questions

All day September 6, 2025.

Team sign-in begins at 7am. The first race is expected to start at 8:00am. The event ends when all teams have completed their third and final heats in the afternoon, usually between 2 and 3 pm.

The Paddler’s Village is located in front of the Stage. This will allow for the sound system to cover the area so announcements and race information can be heard.

Rented Tents will be located to the left of the Stage and will be designated for the team which has rented a tent. There will be no tents setup in the beach/marshalling area. This area is now designated as Race Viewing and Marshaling.

On Friday after 2pm, Teams will be allowed to set up their tents in front of the Stage.

Rented Tents will be setup with your team’s name on the tent by 4:00pm on Friday and taken down after the event.

Vendors who have rented a tent will have it set up in the Vendor Area by 5:00pm on Friday and taken down after the event.


A.J. Jolly Park in Alexandria, Kentucky (Operated by the Campbell County Fiscal Court), 1501 Race Track Road.

We will need a lot of help on the day of the event with everything from parking and crowd control, to working with kids and helping people get in and out of the boats. If you would like to help, please go to p4ca.org.

The Rose Ceremony was started to remember those who have lost their fight with breast cancer. At our festival, we honor those who have battled or are battling any type of cancer by placing flowers in the water.

The festival and races are sponsored by Paddling for Cancer Awareness (p4ca) and presented by The Kentucky Thorough-Breasts, Kentucky’s first Breast Cancer Survivor Dragon Boat Racing Team. The KTB team is comprised of breast cancer survivors, cancer survivors and supporters from the Tri-state area, who serve as ambassadors for local women in the promotion of women’s health, breast cancer awareness, and the sport of dragon boat racing. The team races to ensure that the highest level of care, resources and after-treatment programs are available to women in our region. Team members support individuals in their cancer journey and encourage those living with breast cancer to lead full and active lives. The Kentucky Dragon Boat Festival…Paddling for the Pink is the first to be entirely run by Paddling For Cancer Awareness (p4ca) volunteers and the Kentucky Thorough-Breasts Dragon Boat Racing Team.

  • Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky and Central Kentucky Women’s Health Centers
  • The ongoing mission of the Kentucky Thorough-Breasts Dragon Boat Racing Team.

No alcohol is allowed at this event. No grills or open flames are allowed at this event.

We encourage you to support our Food Vendors. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are available for purchase. However, if you choose you may also bring your own food and non-alcoholic beverages.

  • Water
  • Sunscreen
  • Water shoes or shoes that can get wet, if you are participating on a team
  • Folding chairs
  • Towel
  • Team Spirit

Team Questions

Although the event is scheduled from 8am–4:00pm, your team’s racing heats will be determined the week prior to the festival, so you can plan accordingly.

There will be food and other vendors plus entertainment to keep you occupied when you are not on the water or watching the other paddlers.

An on-water practice is included with your registration fee and your team is strongly encouraged to attend the practice to learn commands and we will help you “set your boat” for race day.

Any group of people can be a team: work colleagues, classmates, church members, family, friends and neighbors. You need 22 people to form a solid team. While that may sound like a lot, we find that most teams have no problem filling these slots once the word gets around.
  • This year we are limiting the number of paddlers to 16 per race (BCS and Club Teams are permitted to have 20 paddlers).
  • All teams must have a minimum of 8 women.
  • No all-male teams will be allowed.
  • Paddlers must be at least 13 years old.

It is recommended each team have 3 – 5 alternates. More alternates on your team allows for more flexibility and allows team members to swap in and out during the day.

In addition to the team members, many teams have a team “mom” or “dad” who helps organize team activities, keeps an eye on belongings, helps with snacks and acts as the cheer section.

Go to the team registration page and register online.

YES. Each person who will be participating in the festival on the water must sign a Dragon Boat Event Waiver and Release of Liability. This can be done ELECTRONICALLY ONLINE.

The festival highly recommends filling out the online waiver as this will expedite your time on the water at practice and receiving your wristbands on the day of the festival.

The 2025 Festival Team entry fees have been established as follows:
  • $899 for Corporate Teams
  • $699 for Community, Health Care and Education Teams
  • $499 for BCS Teams
  • $50 for Individual Athletes (those athletes wanting to participate BUT are not affiliated with a team. The event organizers will match these athletes up with teams needing additional paddlers)

We also encourage teams to raise additional funds to support the cause.

Your team registration and donations help cover the costs to put on a dragon boat festival. Proceeds above what it takes to run the festival are returned to the community for Women’s Wellness and the continuing mission of Kentucky Thorough-Breasts Dragon Boat Racing Team. Over $150,000 has been given to Women’s Wellness programs over the past festivals.

Your additional donation helps the festival meet its $50,000 total fundraising goal for this year’s festival. You can make your donation to the overall event, for a particular team or for an individual online at http://www.kythoroughbreasts.org/support/festival/. The link also contains information to donate by check.

You can still race! Partial teams and individual paddlers will be assigned to other partial teams on the day of the race.

Team tents are not provided with your registration fee.

You may bring your own tent provided it is not larger than 12×12, or you can sign up to rent a 10×10 tent online for $50. They are available on a first come first serve basis and will be located in an area different from the non-rented tents.

Races are run in heats. Each heat is a 250-meter race and takes just a few minutes. There are three race heats: morning, late morning and finals. Every registered team will race once in both the first and second heats for a total of two races. Times from their first two heats will be added together to determine the afternoon division races for your third race. Please plan on staying until the end of the day for the awards ceremony.

If this is your first time participating in Dragon Boat Racing, it may seem a bit crazy to see races scheduled every 10-15 minutes. To keep things moving, it is extremely important that your team be on time for their “pre-marshalling” and “marshalling” times.

This event will take place rain or shine, so please plan accordingly. In the case of severe weather, event coordinators will decide whether or not to cancel the event. If cancelled, the event will not be rescheduled. All fees and donations received will be considered donations to the cause.

Please check our website for any weather delays on the event day.

Your team captain will receive event updates via e-mail. Your captain will be responsible for passing the information on to team members.
You can also check out the team bulletin page on our website.

Vendor Questions

Yes! The Northern Kentucky Health Department requires all Food Vendors to have a Temporary Food Service Permit. Click Here and scroll down to the section “Temporary Food Outlets” for information and to fill out their application.

Your Space! Tables, Tents and other items needed for your space are not provided. You may rent a tent for your use on the day of the festival. Tents are limited and available on a first-come, first-paid basis. Register and reserve a tent online.

Yes, Electric Service is available for an additional $25 on top of your $75 vendor fee. Please bring extension cords. The festival will work to put you as close to the electric service as possible but be prepared to have enough extension cords to reach your space.

Go to our vendor registration page and and register online.