Dragon boats are back in the lineup in Washington’s annual waterfront barbecue festival, Smoke on the Water. The Oct. 17 event promises to top last year’s, with more boats, more racers and the addition of six military teams from across eastern North Carolina, according to organizers Guy Blackwell and Matt Butler.

“We’re going to be considerably bigger than were last year,” Blackwell said.

Last year’s inaugural event drew over a thousand spectators and six teams. This year, 13 teams are already on the roster and the plan is to recruit nine more.

The Williamston Knights, a team of middle- and high-school students from Williamston, return as reigning champions competing with two more Williamston teams, teams from Blounts Creek, Cypress Landing and Oriental, as well as four U.S. Marine Corps teams, one U.S. Navy and a U.S. Coast Guard team.

“Last year was kind of a starting point just to get it out there and see what it looks like,” Butler said. “It was an overwhelming success last year and that’s kind of helped us build some momentum for this year.”

Butler is the environmental projects manager at environmental advocacy organization Sound Rivers, formerly Pamlico-Tar River Foundation, who teamed up with Guy Blackwell, a longtime fan of dragon boat races. Blackwell first saw dragon boat races on Vancouver Island in British Columbia — teams of 22 people, comprised of 20 paddlers, a steerer at the rear of the low-slung vessel and a drummer (or caller) at the bow, racing one another, paddling to the beat of the drum. While the sport dates back some 2,000 years in China, its presence in the U.S. was not established.

“At that time, there was very little activity on the East Coast. What we’re seeing now has just blossomed over the past six to eight years,” Blackwell said.

Now, dragon boat events are held in protected waters across the U.S., many of which are “points” races to qualify teams for national and international championships. While Washington’s race is not yet registered by the sport’s sanctioning body, Blackwell said that’s a future goal.

“Usually each race has to have several races under its built before it can qualify as a points race,” Blackwell said.

Though the races are all in good fun, they’re also another purpose to them.

“It’s a fundraiser for Sound Rivers — we hope,” Butler laughed.

Support is being drummed up throughout the community: $600 to create a 22-person community team ($27 per person); $1,000 for a corporate team ($41 per person). Anyone can fund a member of one of the military teams at $35 per member or $600 for a whole team, or sign up to participate with the Sound Rivers team at $35 per person. Levels of sponsorship range from the $300 Dragon Boat Booster to the Village Sponsor at $5,000.

Topping off the day of races emceed by Jeff Aydelette, Sound Rivers will also host a Pamlico River dinner cruise on the Belle of Washington, later that night.

Butler and Blackwell have a goal to get 24 teams signed up before race day.

“What we really hope — we’d like to see a youth team come out of Washington to challenge the Williamston team,” Blackwell said.

For more information about the Sound Rivers Dragon Boat festival, visit www.washingtonncdragonboat.com, contact Matt Butler at 252-946-7211 or email matt@soundrivers.org.