STOCKTON, Ala. — Brightly painted dragon boats will race across the waters of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta on Saturday, Oct. 17, when the North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce launches what it hopes will become a new community tradition: the inaugural Dragons on the Delta Dragon Boat Race at Live Oak Landing in Stockton.
The first-of-its-kind event for the area will bring together businesses, organizations, families and community members for a day of friendly competition, teamwork, entertainment and community spirit, according to the chamber. Opening ceremonies begin at 8 a.m., and the first race is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. The event is free and open to the public.
‘A place for everyone’
Kristina Pittman, executive director of the North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce, said the race is meant to showcase the region as much as the competition.
“Dragons on the Delta is more than just a race — it is an opportunity to bring our community together in a fun and unique way while showcasing the beauty of North Baldwin County. We are thrilled to introduce dragon boat racing to our area and invite businesses, civic groups, nonprofits, and individuals to join us on the water or cheer from the shoreline. Whether you’re paddling, cheering, volunteering, or sponsoring the event, there is a place for everyone to be part of this exciting new tradition.”
Beyond the races, the family-friendly celebration will include food vendors, entertainment, team spirit competitions and opportunities for community engagement throughout the day.
What is dragon boat racing?
A standard dragon boat is a long, narrow canoe-style boat with 10 rows of paddlers seated two abreast, 20 in all, plus a steersperson standing in the stern and a drummer seated near the carved dragon’s head at the bow. The drummer sets the stroke rate, and a crew’s ability to paddle in perfect unison often decides races more than raw strength.
The tradition’s roots in China reach back more than 2,000 years, and modern dragon boat racing as an international sport traces to Hong Kong in 1976. Today, community festivals have made the sport popular with corporate teams, church groups, cancer survivor crews and friends looking for a fun reason to train together. Because teams need little experience to take part, dragon boat races have become a favorite fundraiser and team-building event for chambers of commerce and nonprofits.
The sport already has a following on the Gulf Coast. The Pensacola Dragon Boat Festival marked its 10th year in 2024 with 40 teams racing a 250-meter course at Bayview Park, an event organizers said drew more than 7,500 spectators and participants. Dragons on the Delta brings the sport to North Baldwin County for the first time.
About Live Oak Landing
Live Oak Landing, at 8700 Live Oak Road in Stockton, is a 175-acre Baldwin County park on the eastern bank of the Tensaw River in the middle of the Mobile-Tensaw Delta. The site has about a half-mile of waterfront and is surrounded by roughly 1,500 acres of county, state and Forever Wild conservation land.
The landing was originally built in 1948 by John and Davida Hastie and was privately operated for more than half a century before the county acquired and improved it. Today it is owned by Baldwin County and managed by the Baldwin County Commission. Amenities include RV campsites, boat ramps, fishing piers, an event pavilion, hiking trails, kayak and canoe access and a catch-and-release fishing pond. The park is about 30 minutes northeast of Mobile and roughly five minutes off Interstate 65.
Showcasing ‘America’s Amazon’
The Mobile-Tensaw Delta, where the Mobile and Tensaw rivers and their tributaries braid together before emptying into Mobile Bay, is one of the largest river deltas in the United States. Its maze of rivers, bayous, cypress swamps and bottomland forests supports such a remarkable variety of plants and animals that it is often called “America’s Amazon.”
For North Baldwin communities like Stockton, the delta is both a way of life and a growing draw for visitors who come to fish, paddle, hunt, camp and watch birds. Live Oak Landing is also a listed site on the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta Loop of the Alabama Birding Trails. An event like Dragons on the Delta puts the delta’s scenery in front of spectators who might never otherwise visit.
Sponsors
This year’s sponsors are:
- Baldwin Gulf Coast Pest Control
- Quincy Compressor
- Pepsi Atmore
- Coastal Alabama Community College
- Wind Creek and the Poarch Creek Indians
- Mudbug Mafia
- City of Bay Minette
- Baldwin County Commission
A busy fall in North Baldwin
The race caps an active autumn in Stockton, which welcomed crowds for its Olde Time Days celebration on Oct. 3. The North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce, based in Bay Minette, serves businesses and communities across the northern part of the county and recently honored three first responders of the year.
If you go
- What: Inaugural Dragons on the Delta Dragon Boat Race
- When: Saturday, Oct. 17; opening ceremonies at 8 a.m., first race at 8:30 a.m.
- Where: Live Oak Landing, 8700 Live Oak Road, Stockton
- Cost: Free and open to the public
- Extras: Food vendors, entertainment and team spirit competitions
- Host: North Baldwin Chamber of Commerce
