"Whether you're a dedicated dragon boater or a first-time paddler, we want you on the water or cheering from shore." Bobbie McCue said that about this year's festival. She is executive director of the Mad Dragon Foundation, the nonprofit producing the Lake Las Vegas Dragon Boat Festival.
The festival is Saturday, October 17, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It takes place at The Village at Lake Las Vegas, 20 Costa Di Lago. The City of Henderson is the sponsor, and spectators get in free. Team registration is already closed, and the Pan Am Dragon Boat race page now has "SOLD OUT" in its title.
Your chance to race in it has passed, but your chance to paddle hasn't. Over the past decade, races on this lake have run under at least three names. Dragon boating has kept coming back to the water through every rebrand, and in 2026 a club based on the lake takes new paddlers every month and gives Lake Las Vegas residents a discount on dues.
A Decade of Festivals Under Different Names
If you've lived here a while, you may remember this race under another name. The record is spread across a decade of local news coverage:
| Year | Event | What the coverage reported |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Rose Regatta | KTNV called it the seventh annual race |
| 2016 | Nevada International Dragon Boat Festival | First year, per the Review-Journal |
| 2017 | Nevada International Dragon Boat Festival | Second year, grew from 14 to 28 teams |
| 2019 | Rose Regatta | News3 billed it as the 11th annual, held Oct. 12 |
| 2023 | Nevada International Dragon Boat Festival | About 1,000 participants on 40 teams |
| 2025 | Lake Las Vegas Dragon Boat Festival | Promoted as the "First Annual," May 17–18 |
| 2026 | Lake Las Vegas Dragon Boat Festival | Called a "revival" by Pan Am, Oct. 17 |
The versions also differed in what they raced for. Proceeds from the Rose Regatta went to the R.E.D. Rose breast cancer program of the St. Rose Dominican Engelstad Foundation. In 2017, organizer Sherri Weaver's Nevada International festival added a division for blind and visually impaired paddlers, and two teams raced in it, Flyin' Blind and Blindstart. The 2023 race drew teams from the U.S., Canada and the Philippines. It was the first one since 2019, after a pause tied to COVID. In 2025 the event moved to May and ran two days, with 200-meter races Saturday and 500-meter races Sunday.
The sources describe this year's race two ways. Pan Am announces "the revival of the Lake Las Vegas Dragon Boat Festival" and calls it "a new tradition." Cody Winterton, division president at Raintree Investment Corp., the developer of Lake Las Vegas, says the festival "has become an annual tradition for our community." Both are accurate. The sport has been on this water a long time, even though the event's branding keeps starting over.
The Club That Practices on Your Lake
Paddle Vegas is the thread that runs through the current version. It's a 501(c)(3) dragon boat club, and it describes itself as "located at fabulous Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, Nevada." Pan Am lists the club as an organizing partner of the October festival, along with the Lake Las Vegas Master Association. On its own site, the club thanks Lake Las Vegas for the support that keeps it running.
The club has three community teams:
- Vegas Pink Warriors, a team of breast cancer survivors
- Vegas Neon, a para-dragon team
- Vegas Miners, a youth team the club describes as ages 8 to 18
The Rose Regatta raised money for breast cancer care, and the club now fields a survivors' team on the same lake.
Getting In a Boat Before Next Year's Race
The club says it welcomes new paddlers on the first Sunday of each month, and experienced paddlers can join any practice. Today, October 4, is the first Sunday of October. If the club sticks to that schedule, the next newcomer session is Sunday, November 1.
Here's what the club asks of first-timers:
- Sign the online liability waiver.
- RSVP for a practice by contacting the club.
- Bring athletic clothes and water to drink.
The club supplies all the equipment, and it says no experience is needed. Dues for 2026 are $200. Discounts go to Lake Las Vegas residents, breast cancer survivors, paddlers under 18, visually impaired paddlers, and guides for Achilles Las Vegas. The site doesn't say how big the discounts are. It also doesn't post practice times or a launch spot, so email [email protected] to get both. The club's phone line is 702-333-2681, and it takes voice calls only.
For context, Pan Am's entry fee for a 20-paddler team at this year's festival is $990. The first 10-paddler entry costs $770. Those fees cover one race day for a whole crew. The $200 club dues cover a full year of practice for one paddler, before any resident discount.
The age rules depend on which program you mean. The Review-Journal's preview lists a minimum paddling age of 14 for the festival, while the club's youth team starts at 8. If you're signing up a younger paddler, check with the club first.
What You'll Be Watching on October 17
Knowing how the racing works helps the day make sense from shore. Each boat has a drummer who sets the pace, and crews race in 11- or 21-person boats. The course has three distances, 200 meters, 500 meters and 2,000 meters. Community and corporate teams race only the 200-meter sprint, in 10-paddler boats. Club teams race all three distances, in both boat sizes.
Eight classes are on the schedule:
| Category | Classes |
|---|---|
| Club | Club Mixed, Club Open, Club Women |
| Festival | Community Festival Mixed, Corporate Festival Mixed |
| Dedicated | BCS, Paradragons, Youth |
The BCS and Paradragons classes match two of the club's own teams, the Pink Warriors and Vegas Neon. Teams are coming from across the country and from the Philippines, per the Review-Journal preview. Every registered participant gets equipment, instruction and a practice session before racing.
A few things aren't posted yet. Pan Am hasn't published a heat-by-heat schedule or spectator parking details. Vegas PBS reported free parking for the May 2025 festival, but that tells you nothing about 2026. Watch the Lake Las Vegas events page for updates. It lists the festival as October's dated event.
The Rest of the Day at The Village
The preview says dining and entertainment will be available at The Village all day, on and off the water. Racing ends at 5 p.m. The Village's free Saturday concerts run from 7 to 10 p.m., so you can stay through the evening. The Village asks guests not to bring outside food or drinks to its free entertainment.
If watching makes you want to get on the water before November 1, Lake Las Vegas Water Sports rents kayaks, standup paddleboards, eFoils and electric boats on the lake. For more on the festival, the Review-Journal preview points readers to the Mad Dragon Foundation at [email protected].
At Jason Griggs, we follow what happens on and around this lake because we own and operate rental properties in Lake Las Vegas. Our guests ask about events like this one. If you own a home here and want to know what it's worth with the lake this active, get your free property valuation, and we'll walk you through the numbers.
