Tempe Town Lake will be taken over by dragon boats this weekend as more than a hundred teams converge to race and compete.
Teams are arriving in Arizona from all over the country and Canada; across all age ranges and skill levels.
A dragon boat team is typically made up of 20 paddlers on both the left and right side of the boat. Six front paddlers called "pacers," six middle paddlers called "the engine room" and six rear paddlers called "rockets."
Paddlers follow a drum cadence from the "drummer" on the bow and commands are yelled from the stern where the boat is driven by the "steersmen."
This is the 15th year the Dragon Boat Festival will take place on Tempe Town Lake, admission and parking is free to watch the races.
