Philadelphia Dragon Boat Festival, Philadelphia’s annual celebration of an ancient Chinese tradition.

The boats, are long and narrow with brilliantly colored dragon heads and tails. Each boat is designed to be manned by teams of 20 paddlers who compete against each other in several heats throughout the day. The event is usually held the first weekend in October along Kelly Drive, setting up around 6:00 am.

About 200 corporate, civic and community groups send teams to this regional event, and each team sets up a tented picnic area along the riverfront — making for a fun and festive atmosphere for paddlers and spectators alike. South Jersey Ski Club has participated since 2005 and I started going in 2077. Each year the club chooses a theme and uses th eevent to raise funds to donate to the National Ovarian Cancer Coaalition.

The club opted to take a year off in 2011, hopefully we'll organize ateam agin in coming years.