EVENT Details

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Pricing
Location
Schedule
Awards
Entertainment
Vendors
Parking
Volunteer
Pricing

PRICING

Category

 # of Races

 Before Jan 1st

Before May 1st

After May 1st

 Sport Division

 Mixed/Women's/Open/ACP/BCP/Paradragons
 (2 x 200m, 2 x 500m)

 4

 $1,145

 $1,245

 $1,445

 Sport Division (Out-of-State)

 Mixed/Women's/Open/ACP/BCP/Paradragons
 (2 x 200m, 2 x 500m)

 4

 $1,145

 $1,345

 Community Division

 Mixed/Women's/Open
(3 x 500m)

 3

$1,045

$1,145

$1,345

 Community Division (Out-of-State)

 Mixed/Women's/Open
(3 x 500m)

 3

$1,045

$1,245

 Sport Division Combination Team**

 (2 x 200m, 2 x 500m)

 4

 $695

 $845

 Practice Session

 

 $100

At least 3 teams must be registered in a division. Any division with less than 3 teams registered will be amalgamated into the next closest racing division offered. 

To ensure races run smoothly, smaller divisions may be combined in heats but will race independently of each other.

 

Prices are in USD.

Payment Methods: We accept all major credit cards or check.
Paying by check: You will receive a 
discount of $25 USD. This discount will be automatically applied during the registration process.

**Team must consist of all paddlers participating on a primary team. To get this rate, please call the GWN office: 416-962-8899.

For more information (i.e. refund policy, multi-event discount, etc), please visit our FAQ page.

Community Division vs Sport Division
A community team is considered to be a team that competes in less than 3 festivals in a season. Contact GWN if your team should be granted an exception.  

Registration Add-Ons
Each team registered at the festival will get a 20 x 20 team site (footprint, not tent rental) within the Athletes' Village. Teams have the option to bring their own tent or rent one from GWN. In addition to tents, chairs and tables are also available. For more information, please refer to the Athletes' Village tab below. Teams may also order additional practices, please see the Practice tab below for more information.

Location

LOCATION

Location: Busse Woods (Ned Brown Preserve) is located in Schaumburg and Elk Grove. The event will be staged on the South Pool. Free parking and access to the race site is gained by turning south off E/ Higgins Rd, just east of Highway 290.

For exact location/directions of the Event Site at Busse Woods, click here

Site Map: 2024 map will be posted 1 week before the event.

Park Rules: We're committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for participants and spectators. Before heading out to the races, there are some things you should know:

No BBQs are allowed on site.

Teams are responsible for picking up their waste within their team sites.  In addition to handing out waste bags during team check-in, there will be wastebaskets located throughout the Athletes' Village to maintain the park's cleanliness.  Let's all work together to keep Busse Woods (Ned Brown Preserve) clean and green.

Medical Services: Medical services and first aid will be available on site. If you're in need of medical attention, please report to the medical tent for immediate assistance.

Schedule

SCHEDULE

For the 2024 Race Schedule, please click here.

For the 2024 Race Structure & Points, please click here.

At least 3 teams must be registered in a division. Any division with less than 3 teams registered will be amalgamated into the next closest racing division offered. 

To ensure races run smoothly, smaller divisions may be combined in heats but will race independently of each other.

Industry Cup Races: To qualify for a Cup race, at least 70% of the crew must be part of the same company or industry. 

Outlined below are qualified teams racing in Industry Cups:

Non-Profit Cup:
1. Adaptive Adventures Team Blue
2. Chicago Typhoon
3. Peking University Alumni

Health Care Cup:
1. Abbot ALCN Blue Dragons
2. Walgreens

Big Business Cup (Open):
1. CVS Health
2. CVS Health 2

 

Live Results
Get live race results and progressions on race day using your phone. Visit www.gwnresults.com.

Race Marshaling
Marshaling for races will begin promptly half an hour before the first race of the day. Teams must be in the Marshalling area 30 minutes before their scheduled race throughout the day.

Race Day Check-In

Every Team Captain must check-in their team at Race Headquarters on race day. Registration will be open from approximately 6:30AM to 9:00AM. All waivers must be completed prior to check-in. Please visit the FAQ section for more information on how to check in on race day.

For a speedy check-in, ensure that all waivers for your team are completed. The electronic waiver deadline is 11:59AM EST on Wednesday, July 24th. Online access to waivers will be restricted after the deadline, after which only paper copies will be accepted on Saturday morning.

Team Captain's Meeting
There will be a Team Captain's meeting on Saturday morning, in the Marshalling Area to discuss race day rules and answer any participants' questions 1 hour prior to the first race.

Awards

AWARDS

Industry Cup: First place teams will receive a trophy and gold medals.

Consolation Finals: First-place teams will receive a trophy and gold medals.

Grand Finals: Third and second place teams will receive bronze and silver medals, respectively.  First place teams will receive a trophy and gold medals.

Awards Ceremonies

Ceremonies will take place after each Industry Cup, Consolation Race, and Grand Final Race. Staff will gather the gold medal-winning team as they come off the water.  They will be escorted directly to the stage. Bronze and silver medal-winning teams will receive their medals in the dock area.
The A Division Grand Final for Mixed, Women's, and Open ceremonies will take place after all races are completed on Saturday.

Entertainment

ENTERTAINMENT

 
Vendors

VENDORS

Marketplace:

  • GWN Pro Shop
  • 2024 TBD

Food Vendors:

  • La Calaca 22 LLC
  • Sausage Fest Food Truck
  • Tacomotora

Interested in being a vendor? Email us at info@gwnevents.com to find out more. 

Parking

PARKING

Free parking will be available within close proximity of your Athletes' Village site. Please follow directional signage to the parking area.

Volunteer

VOLUNTEER

Looking to have some fun on the docks? GWN is always looking for fantastic volunteers.

As a volunteer, you'll have the opportunity to be a part of the exciting and fast-paced action that is dragon boat racing. You'll also get to experience the energy and excitement of the festival event atmosphere and be a part of a vibrant community of dragon boat enthusiasts. Volunteers will be needed to help with various tasks in ensuring the safety and smooth operations of the event through the various outlined tasks:

  • Boat Marshalls: Will be on the dock assisting paddlers with getting in and out of the boats. This position should be filled by people who are comfortable around the water.
  • Results Runners: Will be posting the results from the Timing Officials at the Registration Headquarters. This position requires neat handwriting.
  • Team Marshalls: Will assist the Marshalling Manager in ensuring that all teams are ready to load into boats at the correct time to maintain smooth running of the races.
  • Crowd Control: Will ensure one-way flow traffic from the Marshalling Area after boats are unloaded.

If you would like to volunteer, we can promise some food, drinks, a really cool shirt, and community service hours (if applicable) so please complete this Volunteer Form to join our team! To get more info or ask any questions, feel free to send us an email at volunteers@gwnevents.com.

Event Map

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Additional Information

Accommodations
Travel
Athletes Village
Practices
Participant Checklist

charitable partner

AdaptiveAdventures_PRIMARY LOGO COLOR_hex

The Chicago International Dragon Boat Festival is proud to support Adaptive Adventures.

Since 1999, Adaptive Adventures has provided outdoor sports to improve the quality of life for children, adults, and veterans with physical disabilities and their families. Adaptive Adventures dragon boat racing team, Team Blue, has expanded to include teams in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Montana, and Puerto Rico. Adaptive Adventures establishes sustainable programs in unserved areas, educates the community on greater inclusion and accessibility, and innovates new equipment to reduce barriers. Adaptive Adventures participants experience greater independence, freedom, joy, exhilaration, and camaraderie in the great outdoors. 

partners

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