SPRINGFIELD - Dragon boat racing is returning to the Connecticut River for the third straight year.

The Pioneer Valley Riverfront Club's third annual Dragon Boat Festival will take place on June 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Springfield's Riverfront Park on West Columbus Avenue.

It promises to be a fun-filled family event with entertainment, food and vendors, in addition to the races.

The Riverfront Club's own Dragon Rays will send two boats to the competition, along with other teams from New England.

There are still openings for teams to join in - both community teams with little or no experience and club teams with more experience. But hurry, because registration ends June 1.

It's not necessary for a team to have competed in the past. In fact, it's not even necessary for teams to have paddled before, organizers say.

A Canada-based club and event planning organization, 22Dragons, will officiate and provide coaching in the week prior to the festival, as well as all necessary equipment - boats, paddles and life jackets. Learning the basics, they say, is fairly simple.

Each team will race in three 200-meter events, the first two to establish seeding. In the third and final race, teams with similar racing times will compete against each other.

To register, go online to pvriverfront.org or call (413) 736-1322 and talk with the Riverfront Club's director, Jim Sotiropoulos.

Anna Symington is one of four co-captains of Springfield's Dragon Rays. "We started in 2013," she said, "but we didn't begin racing until last year. Since 2013, we've grown from one boat with 20 paddlers to two full boats."

They are coached by Betsy Powell. Their members are either breast cancer survivors or supporters. Most are women, of course, but they have a few men supporters on the team, as well.

In fact, many dragon boats are paddled by breast cancer survivors. The sport is encouraged because paddling helps in recovery by building strength. Not all boats fall into that category and usually teams of survivors race against each other.

"The Dragon Rays are competing in several races this summer, in addition to the Springfield event," Symington said, "races in Boston, Hartford and Albany."

Since dragon boat racing originated in China, many aspects of the June 27 festival will have an Asian flair. According to Symington, there'll be more food, more entertainment, more fun this year.

The entertainment throughout the day includes the Mountain River Taiko Drummers, an all-female group from Williamsburg that practices the ancient art of drumming. There will also be Vietnamese Lion Dancers, a tai-chi demonstration and, for the children especially, an entertainer to create balloon animals, walk on stilts, and do magic tricks.

The Dragon Grille will provide American food, while the Nom Nom Hut will serve up Japanese fare. The Boy Scouts will sell ice cream, frozen juices and popcorn. And the White Lion Brewing Co. will serve beer.

Vendors will also be on hand to sell T-shirts, crafts and other products.

The Riverfront Club's major sponsors include the White Lion Brewing Co., Rays of Hope, Health New England, and Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co.

Symington encourages teams to register, including any group or organization that wants to put together a team for this event. Or just come on down to the riverfront on June 27 to watch the races and enjoy the day.