The Cumberland River Compact's annual Cumberland River Dragon Boat Festival is BACK! Let the races commence for the 16th year of this beloved river tradition.

This unique event is free and open to the public! Join us riverside in Nashville to watch a day of Dragon Boat races in the Cumberland River. Grab your friends and come on down to the Cumberland River and see why the Dragon Boat Festival is a sporting event you won’t want to miss out on.

Our Water. Our Future.

The annual Dragon Boat Festival supports the work of the Cumberland River Compact. The Compact works to address the root causes of water pollution in the Cumberland River basin, the water source that 3 million people and thousands of species rely on.

Dragon Boat Racing

According to legend, dragon boat racing originated in China more than 2,300 years ago.

The popularity of dragon boat racing has exploded in North America and across the world with an estimated 50 million participants in 67 countries. There are about 175,000 participants in the U.S. and 150-plus recreational dragon boat clubs that practice regularly and compete in festivals and championships across the country and beyond. There are more than 100 dragon boat festivals in the U.S.