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2012 DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL AT ALA MOANA BEACH PARK   (Thurs., July 26, 2012)—Mayor Peter Carlisle today announced that the dragons will wake from their slumber this Saturday and Sunday, July 28 and 29, for the annual Dragon Boat Festival at Ala Moana Beach Park.   "Dragon boat races are an ancient Chinese tradition designed to ward off evil spirits, and we have merged this exciting competition with free family activities," Carlisle said. "This is also the Year of the Dragon, so the festival should be extra fun."   Paddlers from around the Pacific will compete fiercely in traditional dragon boat races, which this year will include visiting teams from Canada, Australia and New Zealand.   Each dragon boat team consists of 16 paddlers, a drummer, flag catcher and steersman.  There are two race categories: the open race; and division, which consists of teams competing for an industry trophy.   The festival features two days of family fun with live local entertainment and futsal (a type of soccer) and grass volleyball tournaments.   Saturday, July 28 ·       8 am – 4 pm: Divisional Dragon Boat Races, with more than 40 teams competing. ·       10 am – 6 pm: Entertainment, beach volleyball and futsal tournaments.               Sunday, July 29 ·       9am to 3 pm: Open Dragon Boat Races, with more than 20 teams competing. ·       10 am to 6 pm: Entertainment, beach volleyball and futsal tournaments.   -30-   Media contact: Alenka Remec, Mayor's Office, 768-4249 or aremec@honolulu.gov