This year’s annual RiverFest is set for Saturday, Sept. 24, at Wilmer Park, and while there will be activities for the whole family on land and in the water,

Washington College’s Center for Environment & Society is urging teams who want to compete in the highlight of the day, the 10th Annual Cardboard Boat Race, to sign up now.

With over $650 in prizes, the Cardboard Boat Race brings all manner of cardboard craft to the river to paddle, sink, and entertain the crowd, all the while competing in various categories. Teams as few as two and up to six people can register. The first 10 teams to register will receive a four-by-eight-foot piece of cardboard to initiate the construction of their vessel. This event is open to everyone. For rules and to register your boat ($15) in the Cardboard Boat Race please visit: http://bit.do/cardboardboat. For more information please feel free to email Jamie Frees at jfrees2@washcoll.edu or call at 410-810-7162.

RiverFest weekend festivities begin on Friday, Sept. 23, when the Chester River waterfront will come to life with illuminated sculptures, which will remain lit throughout the weekend. The Chestertown Arts & Entertainment District will be aglow for the evening extravaganza, and guests are encouraged to adorn themselves in lights. Glowing bracelets, necklaces, and pendants will be available for children young and old. RiverFest features new sculptures each year, sponsored and curated by SANDBOX, Washington College’s initiative for creative collaboration between art and science, with a focus on the natural environment.

Friday evening festivities include food, drinks, and live music starting at 5:30 p.m. with the illumination ceremony scheduled for 7:15 p.m., followed by a lively street dance.

On Saturday, events kick off with canoe and kayak sprints. All entries will also be entered in the Poker Run, which can be completed at your own pace between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. A new addition includes guided History Paddle Tours with Pat Nugent, deputy director of the C.V. Starr Center for the American Experience, a friend of RiverFest. You must pre-register for these tours, which will take place at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Registration for all paddle events can be found at ChestertownRiverArts.org. For more information visit the website or call RiverArts at 410-778-6300.

On land, participants can enjoy face painting, pony rides, model boat building, and the Philip’s Wharf Fishmobile, to name just a few. RiverArts will also be on hand with its popular KidSPOT. The fun will continue at the foot of High Street Saturday night when, from 7 to 10 p.m., a Charlie the Peacock Glow Party takes place, complete with locally made ice cream from Lockbriar Farms for children, as well as beer and wine for adults.

RiverFest is a co-production of Chestertown RiverArts, Washington College’s Center for Environment & Society, and SANDBOX, and is sponsored in part by Chesapeake Bank and Trust. For more information about the event please visit http://www.washcoll.edu/live/events/12082-2016-chestertown-riverfest: or e-mail Jamie Frees at jfrees2@washcoll.edu.