The 4th Annual Dragon Boat Festival brought together residents, local officials, sponsors, vendors, and visitors on June 27 at Otisville Veterans Memorial Park, celebrating Chinese culture, traditional arts, food, and community connections.
Hosted by the Mount Hope and Middletown Chinese Associations, the free-admission event featured a land dragon boat race, Chinese calligraphy and painting demonstrations, traditional arts, live cultural performances, and authentic Chinese cuisine. Despite occasional rain, families and visitors continued to enjoy the activities throughout the day.
Local officials support growing community event
New York State Assemblyman Karl A. Brabenec praised the festival for bringing people together.
“Yeah, the event’s great. It’s been held for a few years now here in Otisville. We’re very happy to have it,” Brabenec said. “It brings a lot of people from the community together.”
He said the Dragon Boat Festival represents “loyalty and also good health,” and allows people to experience culture, food, and community connections.
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“I think a lot of people that are here today, they’re having a great time, they’re experiencing a lot of culture, a lot of good food,” he said.
Brabenec also supported continuing the tradition. “We want to make this an annual thing,” he said. “It’s a good community event that brings a lot of people together.”
Keri Lee Carey, Councilwoman of the Town of Mount Hope, said the event had a strong turnout.
“I think there’s much more people here this year than last year,” Carey said. “It’s such a great event to bring the community together and get to learn about the Chinese culture.”
She especially enjoyed the performances. “The dance is wonderful to see. It’s such artistry,” she said.
Officials and visitors enjoy cultural exchange
Village of Otisville Mayor Brian Michael Carey welcomed the festival and praised its community spirit. “There’s a mixture of people here. There’s different booths for people to come down and stop by,” he said. “Don’t let the rain hold you back. I think it’s going to be a great day.”
Village Trustee Antoinette Coppola said she was impressed by the festival’s atmosphere. “The unity impresses me,” she said. “It’s just fabulous, the weather, the color, everything.”
Village Trustee Lance Davoren also thanked the organizers and participants. “Even though there’s rain here, the crowd is here,” he said. “Enjoy the whole culture of the Chinese culture in Village Otisville.”
Families discover food, music, and traditions
For Anita, who attended with her husband and toddler daughter, it was her first time at the festival. “I do enjoy the performances,” she said.
Visitors Kayla and Damien traveled from Pennsylvania after seeing signs about the event. Damien said cultural festivals are “very important” because “it brings people together.” Kayla added that the festival shows “Asian culture and also Western culture combined together.”
A family group of visitors — Chevonne, Maya, Sharonna, and Debbie — said they made the festival a family outing. Debbie enjoyed the performances, while Maya said her favorite part was “the food.”
Chevonne said cultural events help people understand each other better. “When you get to show other people your culture, they get to welcome in and see that they’re not so different,” she said. “It’s more tolerant.”
Vendors share culture and wellness messages
Jojo, owner of Jojo Wellness, shared natural crystals and wellness products with visitors. “My booth is selling natural crystals, and crystals have different energy. I want to share this positive energy to the people,” she said, adding that the festival helped “revive traditional Chinese culture.”
Sarah He, a volunteer with the Falun Dafa booth, introduced visitors to the traditional practice. “It’s a traditional cultivation practice to achieve a better self,” she said, explaining that the exercises follow “truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.” She hoped more people could learn about the practice and benefit from it.
Organizer hopes tradition continues
Mela Wu from the Mount Hope Chinese Association said organizing the fourth annual festival required teamwork. “The preparation process was not easy,” she said, but the goal was “to serve the community” and help local residents understand Chinese culture and traditions.
Wu said she was touched by the support from visitors, officials, and sponsors. “Many people came despite the rain, and many did not want to leave. That really moved me,” she said.
She hopes the festival tradition continues. “Traditional things need people to protect and carry on,” Wu said. “It truly brings people from different backgrounds together.”
The festival also featured performances by students from Beifang School. Wu praised the young performers for sharing Chinese culture with the community. “Those children showed the spirit and the image of Chinese people to American society,” she said.
