Cambridge Arts welcomes festival goers to the East Cambridge waterfront for its annual River Festival. Occurring in Lechmere Canal Park and DCR’s Charles River Reservation Park along Cambridge Parkway, this exuberant celebration of the arts features music, dance and theater performed by local artists; hands-on, interactive art activities; and hundreds of artists and food vendors with work for sale.

The festival kicks off at 11 a.m. with the annual People’s Sculpture Racing, a competition in which artists wheel, drag and muscle curious contraptions down a 3/4-mile course beginning at the north end of Cambridge Parkway at the corner of Edwin Land Boulevard. Starting at noon, 7 stages will showcase music, theater and dance.