Chicago Dragon Boat Race for Literacy

About this happenin

Decorated dragon boats race on the Chicago River at Ping Tom Memorial Park in Chinatown each June, in the Chicago Dragon Boat Race for Literacy. Each boat carries 14 to 20 paddlers and a drummer, and paddlers must be 14 or older. The Chinatown Chamber of Commerce started it in 2000, and it aims to help neighborhood literacy programs and promote Asian culture. Time trials begin at 8 a.m. and the opening ceremony follows at 9, with the national anthem and a lion dance. Performances run all day, dragon dancing and martial arts demonstrations among them, and vendor booths fill part of the park. Final races, the awards ceremony and a victory dance close the day in the late afternoon.

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Where

Ping Tom Memorial Park · 1700 S Wentworth Ave, Chicago, IL 60616