Global Water Festival In Grand Rapids Sets Schedule For Saturday Events Including Dragon Boat Races

As we told you back in July, a new festival is set to hit Grand Rapids during ArtPrize. This weekend's Global Water Festival is set to take place at Canal Park in Grand Rapids.

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The event is set to take place from 10a-11pm, but the ceremonies will begin at 9:30 am with LCO Ojibwe and Gun Lake Pottawatomi elders blessing the waters of the Grand River, then the awakening of the dragons by Buddhist representatives and a lion dance performance will officially kick off the day.

The event website describes it as a "family-friendly event on the Grand River featuring Dragon Boat Races, free paddleboarding lessons, professional water jet demonstrations, and a globally-themed variety of food vendors, artisan booths, live music, and entertainment. A tent and social area for adult beverages will be available. Admission is free."

The featured dragon boat races begin at 10 am. Eight different teams will compete in the races that originated thousands of years ago in China and will be the first race of it's kind in West Michigan. The crew of a dragon boat team traditionally has 22 members comprised of 20 paddlers, 1 drummer, and 1 steerer.

The event is still looking for volunteers for those interested in being a part of the event:

Food vendors at the event include:

• Brunch and Rice – Boba Teas
• Adobo Boy – Filipino Dessert
• Romanian Kitchen
• Taste of Africa
• Yia’s Kitchen – Hmong Food
• Festival Fixx – Japanese Street Food
• It’s Fate Cupcakes LLC. – Vegan Desserts
• Desi’s Tropical Sno Shack, LLC

Merchants will also be on-site with their wares:

• Cardz Xtcetera
• TesMade Creations
• The Pins Sibling
• Shirley Fashion And Home
• Bhakti Center Grand Rapids
• Rag Tops GR
• La casa Azul artesanias
• Little Hmong Shop
• Sunshine Tools and More

For complete info on the event you can visit: globalwaterfestgr.com