I was in the Delta recently, a land some refer to as the South’s South, which is why I was surprised to find myself at a sporting event that seemed strangely out of place. Greenville was having its Second Annual Delta Dragon Boat Festival, and there were races, lots of them, involving these human-powered water crafts.

In case you’re clueless like me, here’s the low-down. Dragon boat racing originated in China more than 2,000 years ago (as did the family lines of a significant number of Delta residents, thus the local connection). Americans, however, have only modernized dragon boat racing into an athletic competition of their own in recent decades. To compete, a narrow, 46-foot-long boat is required, as well as 20 rowers, one drummer and a steerer. Once assembled, the team works together to propel their craft forward using paddles, with the drummer providing a steady rhythm as motivation. As for the Asian influence, it’s still present in the aesthetics — each rig is handsomely outfitted with a decorative Chinese dragon head and tail.

Greenville was out in full force for the festival, which was held on the grassy banks and calm waters of Lake Ferguson, an oxbow lake formed when the Mississippi River decided to change its course years ago. From our spot on the levee, I could survey the whole scene – teams on the water, teams in tents, kids eating funnel cakes, an adult woman in a multi-colored tutu and crown (don’t ask).

There was a DJ, too, the kind that makes an event like this work. He interrupted the music occasionally, directing comments like “don’t change your mind, bring it on home” to teams waging war on the water. Naturally, Sam Cooke’s standard “Bring It On Home to Me” was playing in the background. He also amplified the necessary “no kids in the water” and chastised a poor guy named Brian: “Don’t be late and disqualify your whole team, Brian.”

Apparently the kids and water rule applied only to those without boater parents, because some of the local spectators, along with their children, preferred to watch events portside. With the aid of my husband’s binoculars, we could view a whole fleet out past the staging area, among them one of those pontoon types, with an orange float hooked to it containing seven little life-jacket wearers (“Are you sure that’s seven?” “Yes, I’m sure.” “Looks more like six.” “Here, give me those binoculars.”) – and they were having the time of their lives.

When the bull horn sounded to begin heat 15, three teams were stroking hard, straining toward the finish line, but one was obviously out of sync. Unfortunately, lacking rhythm was more than a dancing disadvantage in that arena. It was a sure third place.

But the splashing didn’t last long. The other rigs were dragon head to dragon head straight down the pike. In the end, Team Double Quick (appropriately) took the win, and it was the names of the teams, as told by our lively DJ, that explained what the festival is really all about.

For example, corporate sponsors had a heavy presence in crews like the winning Double Quick, a chain of convenience stores headquartered in the Delta, and Dollar General, which has a large distribution center in the area. At the other end of the spectrum, the local Row-Row-Rotary Club entered a crew, as well as a group of Greenville cardiologists – The Heart Attacks.

The larger lineup brought together a diverse community, a hard hit one that has seen its population decline more than 20 percent in the last 15 years. From my outsider-looking-in viewpoint on the levee, it seemed the South’s South is doing what it can to keep things interesting among the cotton fields and blues trail markers. Dragon boat racing. You just might want to check it out next year.

Wesson resident Kim Henderson is a freelance writer who writes for The Daily Leader. Contact her at kimhenderson319@gmail.com.