The Lake Orion community is celebrating art, music, dragons, and much more at the Dragon on the Lake festival from August 25th through August 28th, 2022. Festival-goers support the Orion Art Center and enjoy dragon boat races, dancing, live entertainment, food and art vendors, a lighted boat parade, and more in the downtown area.
Learn more about the festival’s fun and excitement in our video and check out their full list of activities below:
Dragon on the Lake was inspired by century-old tales of a dragon being spotted on Lake Orion. Some suspect it was a prank played by two boys who lived on the lake. Over the years, the stories survived, with one even being reported in the Lake Orion Review. Today, the legend lives on through the festival, along with sports teams in Lake Orion being known as the Dragons.
The festival began in 2009 as a way to raise funds for Orion Art Center’s scholarships, classes, camps, and community outreach. It connects the community to art with four days that are chock-full of fun and entertainment for the whole family.
Thursday, August 25
- Festival hours: 4-10 p.m.
- Dragon Pub opens; live entertainment featuring Free Lance starts at 6:30 p.m.
Friday, August 26
- Festival hours: noon-12 a.m.
- Merchant Market, noon-7 p.m.
- Tiki Bar, 4:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
- Dragon Pub, 4-11:30 p.m.; live entertainment featuring Sunset BLVD starts at 8 p.m.
- LOLA Lighted Boat Parade, 9 p.m.
Saturday, August 27
- Festival hours: 10 a.m.-12 a.m.
- Chalk Art Challenge, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
- Merchant Market, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
- KidsZone, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
- Tiki Bar, noon-12:30 a.m.
- High School Dragon Boat Races, 3 p.m.
- Dragon Pub, 4-11:30 p.m.; live entertainment featuring School of Rock-Rochester at 5 p.m. and SQUARE PEGZ at 8 p.m.
Sunday, August 28
- Festival hours: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
- Chalk Art Challenge, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- Dragon Boat Races, 9:30 a.m.
- Merchant Market, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- KidsZone, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Tiki Bar, noon-4 p.m.
- Dragon Pub, 4-7 p.m.; Three Mates Entertainment with DJ Matty B, Awards, and Closing Ceremony
If you would like to keep up with any information surrounding the Dragon on the Lake festival, follow along on their Facebook page and Instagram. If you need more information, contact the Orion Art Center at 248-693-4986 or events@orionartcenter.org, or visit their website.
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