Riverdale Regional Park in Brighton is set to host its first-ever Dragon Boat Race on Saturday, in addition to a community festival featuring Asian cuisine and performances.

The free festival will be held at the park’s Mann-Nyholt Lake from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with races and performances scheduled throughout the day.

The day will kick off with a coffee truck, followed by multiple food trucks for lunch. The Mudra Dance studio will perform East Indian music and dance from noon to 1 p.m.

“(It is so important) to bring cultural events to our residents,” said Adams County Manager Raymond Gonzales. “As we enhance and expand the park, we want to provide an array of programs and activities for our residents and visitors to enjoy.”

This event is a partnership among Adams County, Colorado Dragon Boat and the Colorado Dragon Boat Alliance.

Colorado Dragon Boat is a nonprofit organization advocating for Asian American Pacific Islander communities through its annual Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, Colorado Dragon Boat Film Festival and AAPI Emerging Leaders Program.

This will be Colorado Dragon Boat’s first race since 2019, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the annual race in Denver to be canceled.

“We continue to make investments in Riverdale Regional Park with the goal of bringing quality programs to our residents,” said Eva Henry, Adams County commissioner. “Riverdale serves as a destination for the Front Range region, and it is our intention to expand the amenities in the coming years.”

Colorado Dragon Boat will store its boats at Riverdale Regional Park year-round and will use Mann-Nyholt Lake throughout the warmer months to practice, train and race.

This year’s Colorado Dragon Boat Festival is scheduled to take place from Sept. 25-26 at Sloan’s Lake. The festival will return to its historical July dates in 2022, officials said.