Splash, Southeast Asian-style
From dancing to feasting to racing, a spectacular day along Merrimack

The northern banks of the Merrimack River were awash in the sticky sweet smells of roasting meat and steaming noodles as vendors hawked their CDs, clothing and handpainted artwork, all as traditional Cambodian dragon boats swiftly paddled by and music filled the air.

So went yesterday's seventh-annual rendition of the Southeast Asian Water Festival in Lowell. The largest of its kind outside Cambodia, the event was expected to feature 22 acts and draw more than 50,000 people.

Organizers said they had gathered more than 55 vendors to fill the boardwalk that stretched west along Pawtucket Boulevard from the Sampas Pavilion, and people were streaming in from all over to purchase their wares and homemade cuisine.

"We have people from France," said event co-chairman Ratha Paul Yem, executive director of the Cambodian American League of Lowell. "We have people from Germany. We have people from Canada. That doesn't count people from all over this country."

Police reported no major problems with the crowd gathered to watch the blending of traditional and contemporary music and dance that has come to mark Lowell's festival.

Such success is a drastic turnaround from only a few weeks ago, when the festival's coordinator resigned in apparent frustration over planning problems, leaving the event leaderless and in danger of being canceled at the last minute.

"They were expecting 60,000 people, or close to it, and they were losing their organization," said Andrew St. Onge, the city's special events coordinator. "We thought that'd be the death of it."

But, St. Onge said, with the logistical support of City Manager John Cox's office and the help of City Councilor Rithy Uong, Yem was able pull off yet another success. Now, Yem says he plans to take the reins in coming years as well, and there was even some bold talk yesterday of holding the ever-growing festival over two days in the future.

"This gives people the chance to come out and enjoy their culture and be proud of who they are and what they are," Yem said. "The city of Lowell is the only city in the country that promotes this kind of event."

Lowell's water festival is modeled after celebrations held in Cambodia and other Southeast Asian nations, traditionally in November, to commemorate the finish of their harvest season. The largest water festival in the world is held on the Mekong River in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia.

It is that tradition that keeps Lowell resident Denys Meung coming back with his family every year. Yesterday, he stood alongside his wife, Renvann holding their 5-year-old son Andy's hand as the couple stood in the shade, watching the performaces under Sampas Pavilion along with their daughter, Povlynna, 12.

"It's nice just to have it," said Meung, 38. "We used to have it in our country, and it's great that we have the opportunity to have it in the United States. It's very nice to see everyone, to meet everyone."

Here, as in the more traditional festivals, the highlight is the dragon boat races. In Lowell, they are run on the Merrimack River. Every year the top contender is Khmer Kampuchea Krom, a Lowell-based team that take their name from a disputed region, formerly part of southern Cambodia, that was ceded to Vietnam in the 1950s. From humble roots, Kampuchea Krom has grown to become one of the best dragon boat racing teams in the world.

They will compete in the world championships in Shanghai next year. With such credentials, the 26-member team expects to win Lowell's dragon boat races every year, and for the last four in a row, they have. This year, they were competing against 11 other crews, including two all-female teams.

"We're not here for games, man," said Rinh Kim, 20, one of 36 members of the Kampuchea Krom team. "We're here to win."

Michael Lafleur's e-mail is mlafleur@lowellsun.com .