08/30/2026
RDBC STRONG 💙
The NEW Dragon Boat Festival delivered on every level.
What started as a Plan B became a celebration of racing, community, teamwork, youth, cancer survivors and the incredible spirit of dragon boating.
16 teams took the water.
We had exciting racing.
We had three youth boats.
We had cancer survivors competing.
We had first-time paddlers discovering a sport they may never have otherwise experienced.
And we had an incredible community of people who simply decided:
“We’re going to make this happen.”
❤️🐉 Racine Crew — we cannot thank you enough.
The fabulous Racine Crew brought their boats to Oshkosh — and there was something pretty special about seeing those boats return to the Fox River, where they had raced many years ago.
But Racine didn’t just bring boats.
Their team showed up in more ways than we could possibly mention.
They helped with race preparation, getting all of their equipment ready to go. They provided steerspeople. They transported the boats and got them on the water before many of us had even arrived at the festival. They helped set the course and jumped in wherever they were needed.
They didn’t just help us race.
They helped make the race possible.
This festival would not have happened without you.
We are incredibly grateful. ❤️
The American Dragon Boat Association also stepped up in a BIG way, providing Level 3 international officials to judge the races, along with a dedicated team to manage the starts and finishes. Their expertise helped us run safe, fair and professionally organized racing throughout the day.
And multiple paddlers from other teams generously volunteered their time to serve as steerspeople, helping get teams safely down the course.
Think about that for a moment.
People who came to race also gave their time to help other teams race.
And then there was our own Fox Valley Dragon Boat Club.
Our members showed up early, worked all day and stayed until the very last dock and tent was taken down — helping run races, supporting teams, moving equipment and doing whatever needed to be done.
And to our club members’ families — thank you.
You may not have been wearing a team jersey or sitting in a boat, but you were there. You helped carry things, move things, solve problems, fill gaps and simply stepped in whenever something needed to be done.
Dragon boating doesn’t just involve the paddler. It takes a whole community.
A very special thank you to Steve, a club member’s husband who volunteered his time — and the use of his boat — to help set the race course and later help remove the docks.
Those are the behind-the-scenes acts of generosity that most people never see.
But we see you. And we appreciate you. ❤️
And of course, thank you to the festival organizers, who have a grand vision of making this festival one of the best dragon boat festivals in the country — bringing together cultural performances, incredible food and exciting dragon boat racing.
That vision is what brought all of us together.
And yesterday, we got to see what is possible when that vision meets a community willing to roll up its sleeves and make it happen.
That is what dragon boating is about.
Different people.
Different teams.
Different backgrounds.
Different stories.
One boat. One team. One heartbeat.
And somewhere along the way, our little Plan B festival became something much bigger.
It became OUR festival.
And Oshkosh?
We think you just awakened the dragons. 🐉❤️
