Who We Are
The Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival celebrates the sport of dragon boat racing and supports Breast Cancer Survivors in the Greater Pittsburgh area and the mission of Pittsburgh Hearts of Steel Breast Cancer Survivor Dragon Boat Team.* * Pittsburgh Hearts of Steel (HOS) is a breast cancer survivor dragon boat team based at Three Rivers Rowing Association (TRRA) in Pittsburgh, PA. All of our members are breast cancer survivors who share a desire to be physically active, to support each other in our journey with breast cancer, and to encourage others living with cancer to lead full and active lives. TRRA (EIN 25-1544798) is classified as a public charity and is exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All donations to Hearts of Steel are fully tax-deductible under section 170 of the Code.
What We Do
The 2025 Pittsburgh Dragon Boat Festival will take place at beautiful North Park Lake (10301 Pearce Mill Road, Allison Park, PA 15101) on September 27, 2025. Created to showcase the sport of dragon boat racing and to support Breast Cancer Survivors (BCS), the Festival features spirited racing among Community/Corporate, Sport, Youth, and BCS teams. It is a celebration of dragon boat racing, culture, community and survivorship.
A dragon boat team consists of 20-24 paddlers who sit two abreast, a coxswain (provided) who steers from the rear, and a drummer who sits at the front.
At this year’s festival, community, sport and youth teams as well as Breast Cancer Survivor teams are expected to paddle and race for medals and awards.
There are many sponsorship opportunities to help Breast Cancer Survivors. In addition, you will get exposure to hundreds of event participants and spectators.
Through the years, Dragon Boating has been used for various religious water rituals and cultural celebrations. In the 1970’s, the Hong Kong Tourist Association brought back traditional Dragon Boat Races, and in 1991 the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) was formed. Today Dragon Boat Racing is an official team sport full of tradition and culture with over 50 million dragon boaters spanning the world!
