Sloan Lake Park hosts the annual Dragon Boat Festival

A Dragon was Free at Sloan Lake Park on Saturday morning, captivating the crowds with his wild green eyes.

It was easy to get lost in the red wards of the dragon, the scalloped cloth layers and scales, the gnawing mouth and the spikes that rose from the back of the beast, but the real view was watching the fancy footwork nine people animating the animal from below.

Shifu Solow brought the dragon dance to Colorado in 1997, but he did the culturally rich performance since the late 1970s in New York. The dragon is the most respected animal of Chinese culture, explains Solow, symbolizing favorable weather conditions and luck for all.

"That's why we go past the boats and the vendors when we do the dragon," Solow his id. "We wish them good luck and good luck to all dragon boat runners."

The ceremony consists of the long and colorful creature that winds in and out of itself with the help of strong humans that propel it in motion, and it features the "eye" pointing "at the lake, where the dragon boats rest.

"The dragon endows the eyes and nose of the dragon boats, and what he does awakens the senses of the dragons on the dragon boat," said Solow. "That awakens the spirit of all the dragons for the races. "

Under the red, green and yellow dragon, nine members of the Boulder-based Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu martial arts group hoisted sections of the creature onto a wooden pole. Members also carried around a massive drum with accompanying cymbals that kept a steady rhythm for the dancing dragon.

After the performance, Jason Fritz wiped his forehead. can weigh 30 to 40 pounds, and the other sections can weigh a little less.But Solow said that maneuvering with each other while running in the grass takes stamina, l? agility and strength.

This marked Fritz's first year at operating the dragon, and he admitted that 39, was a training. "He added, in reference to the traditional martial arts school that all artists attend.

Fritz and his band members train for dragon performance every week since May [19659012] "It's exhausting, but it's fun." "I like to be part of the dragon and put all the performance for everyone."

In addition to the shows, the Dragon Boat Festival offers food, shopping, family activities, dragon boat races and other Asian and Asian celebrations American Heritage

The festival will continue on Sunday with groups, cultural dances, martial arts, boat races and more, performances start at 10 am and continue until 5 pm Boat races take place from 8 am to 5 pm Entrance is free and the garage of Fifth Street Auraria Campus Offers $ 5 Parking There is a free shuttle to and from Sloan Lake.

The veteran dragon tamer Solow keeps the dragon alive because he loves tradition.

"The dragon is a vehicle from which we can advance Chinese culture," said Mr. Solow. "We have simply exposed thousands of people to something that they may have only seen on TV or not at all – to Chinese traditions."