Greetings!

March is always an exciting time at the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival as it's really the month where our programming kicks into overdrive.

We're now taking vendor applications for the Marketplace and Taste of Asia food court as well as performer applications for the main Performing Arts stage, Gateway to Asia and Cultural Unity Hip Hop stage! Read below for more information or go to the CDBF homepage at: www.cdbf.org.

Dragon Boat race team registration opened a month ago and we're 50% full already with more than 25 teams registered! Colorado has really embraced dragon boating as a part of the sporting landscape. Scroll below to see which divisions are full and nearing capacity.

Lastly, I'd like to introduce you to Lisa Maurer, CDBF's new full-time Operations Manager! Lisa comes to us with a lot of festival and event experience and has already hit the ground running. Lisa's a welcome addition to the CDBF team!

Erin Yoshimura
Executive Director

The Colorado Dragon Boat Festival is a unique athletic competition, but it's also a unique cultural celebration.  

Each year the festival offers multiple stages to enjoy and learn about both traditional Asian and contemporary Asian American cultures from many communities across Colorado. You might see Korean dancers like the ones shown here from last year's Gateway to Asia, or see popular local singer-songwriter Wendy Woo and her band, a regular on the Main Performing Arts Stage. We also feature Hip-Hop dance all weekend in our Cultural Unity stage and this year we're adding a Dragonland stage for children's performers and storytellers. 

We're now accepting applications for all our Performing Arts, so here's your chance to join us on stage! 

Lisa Maurer began her nonprofit career in 1985 working for a small outdoor art museum, the Museum of Outdoor Arts (MOA).  During her time at MOA, Lisa finished her degree in Business Management and built a successful career advancing to the Museum's Administrative Director where she worked closely with employees and independent contractors ranging from teaching artists to sculptors, conservationists, donors, members, and elected officials.Lisa enjoyed managing the day-to-day office operations as well as developing and managing art exhibitions, openings and other events.

Wow, a number of race teams took advantage of the Early Bird pricing to register before March 1 and save money. We already have 26 teams signed up!

The Corporate Flag Catcher Division is all filled up, and there are oly two slots left for the Recreational Flag Catching Division, so get your registrations in soon.

Here's the complete breakdown so far:

The Competitive Hong Kong division has four teams registered and five slots open; the Corporate Hong Kong division also has five teams signed up and four slots left; the Recreational Hong Kong division has two sgned up and seven openings; the Corporate Flag Catching division has all eight teams set and no openings left; Recreational Flag Catchinghas six teams registered and two slots open; and Youth Flag Catching has two teams so far, with six slots to go.

Register your team soon, so you get the division you want! You can learn more and rehister your team on our Race page.

Thanks to you, we're well on the way to having an exciting weekend of dragon boat racing in July!

Two Hina Matsuri Celebrations!

The Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys is displaying a special Hina Matsuri exhibit of Japanese dolls through March. Hina Matsuri is the Japanese festival of dolls, held on Girl's Day on March 3.

These aren't Barbie and Ken, or stuffed animals. These dolls are ornamental works of art, made to represent Japan's Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress. The custom began because of a belief that dolls have the ability to contain spirits -- specifically, bad spirits. Japanese during the Heian period used to float straw dolls down a river as a way to rid themselves of ills.

Today it's a festive way to celebrate the ornate costumes and customs of traditional Japanese dollmaking. Denver's small but cool Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys has a collection of Hina Matsuri dolls and has a selection on view all month. It's located near City Park at 1880 Gaylord Street, 303-322-3407, http://dmmdt.org  (Admission is free under 5, $4 for kids, $5 for seniors and $6 for adults.)  

Simpson United Methodist Church, the Japanese community church in Arvada, also celebrates Hina Matsuri with its annual Doll and Cultural Festival, which will be held tomorrow and Sunday, March 5 and 6 from 11:30-4pm.  

You can see a whole bunch of dolls (most handmade) and see and hear demonstrations of traditional Japanese culture from martial arts and folk dancing to calligraphy, origami, tea ceremony and more. Plus you can have a great Bento Box lunch made by the church ladies while supplies last, too, in the Food Bazaar! 60021 Wolfe Street, Arvada, 303-428-7963 for more information. Admission is free.    

For the most complete calendar of events happening in Colorado's APA community visit asiaxpress.com.

About the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival