Beasts from the East Dragon Boat Classic

August 1st, 2026

Get ready Boston, for the first ever Beasts from the Easts Classic and Free Fort Point Cultural Festival! The Beasts from the Easts Dragon Boat Classic is the newest addition in Boston, taking place at the Fort Point Channel, an ideal location for locals and guests alike.

Taking place in mid-summer, the festival lands perfectly in the Eastern US summer race seasons, making this the go to race for any team.

Beasts from the East Classic invites paddlers of all levels—from seasoned sport teams chasing gold to enthusiastic community and corportate crews eager to dive into their first race. You do not want to miss out on this opportunity to be a part of a new event that ties together our local communities with the excitment of dragon boat races.


The excitement is not only on the water! The FREE Fort Point Cultural Festival has many thrilling attractions, and the Fort Point neighborhood has local attractions like art galleries, museums and is home to some of Boston's new hip and upcoming restaurants that spectators can explore between races.

Whether you’re racing, or spectating, Beasts from the East Classic brings an unforgettable moment of sport, cultural and celebration to Boston and local waters.

Event Overview


Sport & Community Division
Free Youth Regstation
BCP/ACP Ceremony
Practice included for community teams
Distance: 200m, 500m

Register

Event Details

  • 2026 Race Registation Fees:

    • [$1500] Community Teams

    • [$1400] Sports Teams

    • [Free] Youth

  • General Team Information

    Teams are allowed a maximum of 26 registered members, comprising of: 1 Drummer, 1 Steersperson, and 24 Paddlers. A maximum 20 paddlers may race at one time. The additional four paddlers are to be considered alternates and may paddle as the captain wishes.

    Community teams will be provided a festival steerer. Sports teams are permitted to use their own steerers with the approval of race officials.

    Drummers must come from your own team, unless it drops your team under the 16 minimum paddler limit.

    Divison Specifics

    • Mixed crews must compete with a maximum of 10 women paddlers and maximum of 10 men paddlers. The drummer or the steersperson do NOT contribute to this gender cap.

    • Youth crews must have all paddlers, with exceptions to drummer or steerer, between the ages of 14-18 inclusivly. There is no gender requirment for youth.

    • BCS/ACP crews must have all paddlers, with exceptions to drummer or steerer, be cancer survivors. There is no gender requirment for BCS/ACP.

  • Description text goes here

  • Race Schedule

    The 2026 schedule will be posted later in June.

    Race Marshalling

    Marshalling for races will begin promptly half an hour before the first race of the day. Teams must be in the Marshalling area 30 minutes before their scheduled race throughout the day.

    Race Day Check-In

    Every Team Captain must check-in their team at Race Headquarters on race day. Registration will be open from approximately 7AM to 8AM. All waivers must be completed prior to check-in. For a speedy check-in, ensure that all waivers for your team are completed.

    Team Captain’s Meeting

    There will be a Team Captain’s meeting on Saturday morning to discuss race day rules and address any questions.

  • Each Team will be awarded 26 medals