New Yorkers celebrate Dragon Boat Festival with fervor & color

Bobby Li added all their team members were classmates in a local high school and they have joined the race for eight years. "We're just as much friends from high schools, we do it and stand out a lot, we always have tons of fun, It is always a great time for people to come back."

Anthony Demmasi with the UPS team said they were inspired to do dragon boat racing by a YouTube video fours years ago.

"It's pretty cool. you learn how to better pace yourself, learn the techniques, learn how to train each other,train new people that are coming in. Mainly because we got keep on learning, we got keep on showing new people the experience, And it's a lot of fun," Demmasi said.

The dragon boat racing, now the largest summer activity in New York City, has injected lots of new life into the Corona Park, home to the 1962 World's Fair where exhibitors worldwide showcased their inventions and culture.

The celebrations incorporate activities both on land and on the water. It usually begins with traditional opening ceremonies that awaken the dragons and bless the racing to come. From there, paddlers take to their boats and spectators crowd the waterfront amidst a carnival of cultural activities and food.