The St. Charles summer event formerly known as River Fest is back June 9-12 and better than ever under a new name — Festival of the Fox.

By any appellation, you’ll recognize Festival of the Fox immediately for its signature event, the classic Dragon Boat Races, but you and your family might be just as excited about the popular carnival, kids craft, movie night, food, entertainment or the unique, recent addition of one very cool water ski show.

Pretty much everything you need to know about Festival of the Fox can be found right here: festivalofthefox.com. But that’s not going to stop us from sharing with you some of the highlights, listed below.

Schedule of Events

Festival Carnival — June 9-12

Traditional rides, games and treats. At IL Route 31 and State Street, within walking distance of Pottawatomie Park.

Special Needs Family Day — June 10, noon to 2 p.m.

Families with special needs children are invited for a special day at the Carnival at Cedar and State streets. Activities, food, fun and a rest area is free to all families who register onsite! Sponsored by Windy City Amusements.

Dragon Boat Races — June 11 and 12

Twenty-five years of Dragon Boat Races kicks off Saturday, with a ribbon cutting at 8:45 a.m. by St. Charles Mayor Ray Rogina. Next, “Awakening the Dragon,” a 2,000-year-old traditional ceremony which tells the colorful story behind the Dragon Boats, immediately follows. Then on Sunday, races start at 8:30 a.m.

Water Ski Show — Sunday, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

You won’t want to miss the Wonderlake Water Ski Show!

Other Fun Events

“Picnic in the Park” features demonstrations and shows on the Community Stage and oversized lawn games like Connect-4 and Bull’s Eye. You also can enjoy food from New Wave BBQ, Brewing 164’s natural soda pops, Bettina’s organic iced teas, lemonades, Italian ices and more.

Children’s activities include a dragon craft compliments of the St Charles History Museum and a Kite Flying Lesson with a free kite for the first 100 kids!

Music and videos, and a free showing of a family-friendly film Saturday at 8 p. m. Free popcorn to the first 500 guests!

The Information Exchange Booth has lots of great handouts and Petsmart and others will have free giveaways. You also can buy a Dragon Boats picnic blanket to benefit Project Mobility which helps disabled children experience the freedom and fun that comes with wheeled recreation.

For more information, visit the festival’s Facebook page at City of St. Charles Festival of the Fox or www.festivalofthefox.org.

SOURCE: city of St. Charles news release

About the City of St. Charles

Friendly neighborhoods, diverse retailers, international employers, innovative schools, beautiful parks, varied cultural amenities, and unique architecture have earned St. Charles its reputation as the Pride of the Fox. Located in both DuPage and Kane counties, the City of St. Charles is 35 miles west of downtown Chicago, and has a population of approximately 33,000. Over 1,800 businesses, consisting of a balanced mix of retailers, restaurants and manufacturing facilities, employ more than 18,000 people. The City of St. Charles was named the #1 City for Families by Family Circle® magazine in 2011; one of the “150 Great Places in Illinois,” by the AIA Illinois; and one of the “Top 10 Towns To Live In” by West Suburban Living magazine. www.stcharlesil.gov.