Miss Vietnam of Northern California Intercollegiate had the pleasure of being invited to the 18th Annual San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival! The two-day festival drew a record number of 80,000 attendees according to the San Francisco Examiner, and nearly 120 teams competed in the boat race. The sport of dragon boating includes an ornate, narrow boat fit for 20 paddlers, a drummer who sits at the head of the boat and sets the pace, and a helmsman. The courses were 500 meters and 300 meters, and teams championed through the water with the newly-constructed Bay Bridge in the background.
Although the focus of the event was the dragon boat races, the festival included family-friendly activities such as face painting, children’s rides, carnival and ethnic foods, and various stage performances. I had the pleasure of emceeing with Miss Gavilan Hills 2013 of the Miss America Organization, Michelle Chang, and it was such a treat to introduce children, teens, and adults on stage to showcase their talent. The live performances included Tai Chi, hula hooping, acrobats, singing, dancing, and other unique entertainment. The Court members and I thoroughly enjoyed the event and look forward to next year’s dragon boast festival!