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PAWTUCKET-The Pawtucket River will be transformed into a waterway resembling the ancient Far East this weekend when the 10th Annual Dragon boat Race and Taiwan Day comes to town.

From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Rhode Islanders and Bay Stater's can watch dragons be ridden along the river with a fierce competitive spirit and dumplings being consumed at an astonishing rate.

The event, which is based on a 500-year-old Asian tradition, is free and includes numerous events, vendors and competitions that go beyond the large dragon boat racing.

This year's festival will also act as a fundraiser for the people of Taiwan, parts of which were devastated by Typhoon Morakot on Aug. 8.

"The Taiwanese community is going to be raising money, and businesses from Boston will be bringing food and offering more products," said Bob Billington, the organizer in charge of the event at Blackstone River Valley Tourism. The event will also be raising awareness of breast cancer with a short ceremony and moment of silence.

Normally, a breast cancer survivor throws a carnation in the Pawtucket River, and this year Billington said that people will be able to purchase their own flower to toss in.

One of the main attractions of the day is the dragon boat racing, where teams take Taiwan boats shaped like dragons and race to grab a flag. Billington said the race has been around for centuries and began as a religious and cultural event.

"The Chinese people would go out on a boat and it eventually developed into a sport," Billington said.

The Taiwanese, however, are the only ones where people racing dragon boats have to catch a flag. Grabbing the flag at the end of the dragon boat race is part of the tradition in Pawtucket.

Being a flag catcher is tricker than it sounds.

Not only do they have to drag the flag off the the bouey, they need to be accurate and fast or they could end up falling in the water.

The race was brought to Pawtucket 10 years ago through two Chinese Americas, Sunny Ng and Lewis Yip. Ng and Yip participated in dragon boat races in Hong Kong, and they wanted to develop it in the United States. They contacted Billington, who agreed to help them. At first, Ng and Yip used their own boats.

Soon, though, Taiwan sent over two more.

Congressman Patrick Kennedy soon led a delegation to Taiwan, which ended up donating bigger boats for the festival. In total, Taiwan donated 54 boats that are paddled by a crew of 23 people. Also on board is a navigator in the back, a drummer cadence, and, of course, the flag catcher.

A drummer cadence is supposed to help paddlers keep an even stroke to the beat.

This isn't a hop-in-the-water-and-go race. Participants have been practicing for weeks on the Blackstone River, with the actual race taking place on Pawtucket River.

Billington said most of the teams have been participating for years, but they are always looking for more paddlers.

"You could be recruited on the spot. Anyone can do it, as long as they are 16 years and older," he said.

If throwing flowers and racing in dragons isn't enough, people can also participate in the Gentle Giant Competition.

The Gentle Giant is a massive staircase with an adjacent slide. Competitors climb up the stairs, slide back down to the bottom, and repeat. The contest is to see who can complete the cycle the most in a given time frame.

But the races and physical contests are just part of the fun. Taiwanese and Chinese culture are celebrated throughout the day with traditional dancers and other acts putting on shows. And there's even an event for those who would rather not break a sweat. Thirty people will compete in the Dumpling Contest to see how many dumplings they can eat in three minutes.

Last year's event drew around 10,000 people, which Billington said was down a bit from previous years because the festival took place between two hurricanes.

"It's a great event because it combines culture and sports," Billington said.

The tenth annual Dragon Boat Race and Taiwan Day will take place Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at School Street Pier, Tim Healey Way, Pawtucket.

The Dragon Boat Race and Taiwan Day is part of the Pawtucket Arts Festival that kicks off this weekend runs through Sept. 13 in various spots throughout the city.

If you go ...

What: 10th Annual Dragon Boat Race and Taiwan Day

WHEN: Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: School Street Pier, Tim Healey Way, Pawtucket

Events: Dragon Boat Race, dumpling eating contest, Gentle Giant competition, traditional dance, song and other cultural events

More information: www.dragonboatri.com