Dragon Walk in Oriental North Carolina

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Our Newest Dragon

A strange brew of talented people lent their skills, materials, imagination and time to create Oriental, North Carolina's newest dragon. The diverse group of engineers, art lovers, seamstresses, students, canvas/sail makers, and folk were led by artists Bonnie Kendall and Charles Bird. The community donated sailcloth, vats of sequins, glue, Styrofoam, epoxy and good will to the dragon. Indeed, sometimes it seemed the entire community was in the Bird/Kendall garage attaching sequins, painting and adding the touches only a variety of minds can create.

Bonnie Kendall found a quote she feels described the process perfectly, " In the house of a fiddler, everybody dances."

The engineers created a basic plan for the dragon, however the materials donated ultimately defined the design. Oriental's NEW dragon is spectacular looking, breathes smoke, has moving eyes and the lead 'dragoneer' can SEE. That's a real upgrade from the dragon baby's mom. Evolution in action!

The dragon makes her way down Hodges St. in Oriental twice on New Year's Eve. Early in the evening children of all ages await the first sign of the colorful beast and begin to bang pots or blow noisemakers in an effort to keep the dragon at bay. Hearty visitors and townspeople (or those who own long underwear) wait patiently in the cold for the second sighting of the dragonlady near midnight.

Sitings of a gentleman caller have been reported, so keep an eye out for 'little dragons' in the upcoming months.

How many people does it take to walk a dragon? For information about Oriental Dragon history click here.

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