Best New Festival -- City

Dragon-boat racing originated some 2,000 years ago in China. But here in the United States, it's an up-and-coming sport in which anyone who's willing (and has a strong constitution) can participate. All that you and your twenty-person team have to do is paddle like hell and hope you can maneuver your dragon-headed, canoe-shaped vessel faster than the other teams. Denver joined a growing list of race-sponsoring communities across the nation last summer, and you couldn't ask for a better debut: The inaugural event drew thousands out into the sweltering heat of August to enjoy pan-Asian culture and food while cheering on the sixteen teams who competed. In the end, the Colorado Mongolian Project's team took top honors -- quite a feat, apparently, since Mongolians tend to lack sea legs.