Dragon Boat Festival returns to Lake Arlington

The Chicago International Dragon Boat Festival returns to Arlington Heights Saturday, July 29, for another year, blending ancient culture with the excitement of sport and competition.

Dragon boat racing dates back 2,500 years to ancient China. The festival, which will feature 30 dragon boat teams from the Midwest region, has been recognized as the Best Single-Sport Event by Sports Travel Awards. Lake Arlington has hosted the event for five years.

Beyond the water competition, visitors can enjoy festival staples such as the Vendor Village, Kids Zone and Food Truck Bazaar. Ascene Chicago is presenting the Asian Cultural Village with multicultural performances, musical acts, workshops and demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Chicago International Dragon Boat Festival takes place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Flentie Park, 2201 N. Windsor Drive, at Mulberry and Birchwood streets. Parking is available at 999 N. Schoenbeck Road, Prospect Heights. Admission is free. For details, visit www.gwndragonboat.com/chicago or call (855) 496-2628.

The festival benefits Adaptive Adventures, which provides progressive outdoor sports opportunities to improve quality of life for children, adults and wounded veterans with physical disabilities. To raise funds or donate, visit https://adaptiveadventures.org/donate.

At Adaptive Adventures, 84 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to programs. It is the largest provider of adapted sports for veterans in the Midwest. In 2016, more than 1,500 participants from 42 states participated in 5,500 days of programs.

More than 33 percent of participants are military, and half of the veterans were wounded in combat post 9/11.

The dragon boat racing event is produced by GWN Dragon Boat, North America's largest full-service dragon boat event production company. GWN is contracted to provide varying levels of service to more than 30 annual festivals in Canada and the United States.