Colorado Dragon Boat Festival Canceled For 2nd Year In A Row, This Time Due To COVID Delta Variant, Algae Bloom
DENVER (CBS4)- This year's Colorado Dragon Boat Festival has been canceled for the second year in a row. Organizers say the reason behind the cancellation is two-fold: the increase in the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant and the blue-green algae bloom at Sloan's Lake where the festival takes place.
This year's festival was scheduled to take place on Sept. 25-26 at Sloan's Lake. Now the festival organizers will concentrate on bringing back the festival in 2022.
In a statement released Wednesday, "the Colorado Dragon Boat Leadership has closely monitored the COVID-19 pandemic (including the increasing spread of the delta variant) and the blue-green algae bloom at Sloan's Lake. After weighing the health and safety of our community, volunteers, dragon
boaters, and performers (many of whom are children under the age of 12 and/or family members), and also considering the current closure of Sloan's Lake due to the health risks posed by a blue-green algae bloom, we have decided that the most prudent decision is to cancel the 2021 Colorado Dragon Boat Festival. This decision was not made lightly and we hope to bring our annual celebration of Asian and Asian American Pacific Islander heritage back
in 2022."
Last year's festival was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival has been a tradition in Denver for nearly two decades. It features dragon boat racing, culture, arts and entertainment, and food. It has grown into the largest dragon boat festival in the U.S.
As part of the announcement, the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival is encouraging donations to help keep the boats for the festival.
