On Saturday, dozens of ornate boats will set sail on Lake Michigan for a race unlike any other in the area. The annual Dragon Boat Festivalis in its seventh year here in Milwaukee. But the tradition began more than 2,000 years ago in what is now mainland China.
Lorna Young and Susa Siy are both organizers for Milwaukee’s Dragon Boat Festival. They joined Lake Effect’s Joy Powers in studio. Siy starts by explaining the folklore about the Dragon Boat Festival’s origins:
Admission to the event is free. It takes place Saturday at Lakeshore State Park with the first race at 8 a.m.
