Festival of the Fox Kicks Off This Week in St. Charles

Submission by the city of St. Charles/Photo credit: City of St. Charles website

ST. CHARLES, IL - The Festival of the Fox, which has gone by the name River Fest in the past, will kick off next week in St. Charles.

The festival will be held from June 9 through June 12 and will include dragon boat races, a water ski show, movie night, food, entertainment, carnival and more.

Schedule of Events

• Festival Carnival (June 9-12): Located at Route 31 and State Street, the festival carnival will include traditional rides, games and treats. The carnival is within walking distance of Pottawatomie Park.
• Special Needs Family Day (June 10 from 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.
• Dragon Boat Races (June 11 and 12): The 25th year of Dragon Boat Races kicks off Saturday with a ribbon cutting at 8:45 a.m. by St. Charles Mayor Ray Rogina in Pottawatomie Park. 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 (June 12 from 1 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