"We have tremendous diversity in this event," Lindner says. "There are a number of teams with parents, grandparents and children in a boat competing."
Spectators can wander the "athletes village" where team tents are set up, as well as visit food and clothing vendors. Comcast SportsNet's Dei Lynam will serve as master of ceremonies.
The event, which draws from an ancient Chinese festival, is the largest of its kind in the United States, Lindner says.
Philadelphia International Dragon Boat Festival, postponed to Oct. 9, on the banks of the Schuylkill between Strawberry Mansion Bridge and St. Joseph's Boathouse. Kelly Drive will be closed 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Free. Information: 610-642-2333 or www.philadragonboatfestival.com.
The Giant Heart restarts. The Franklin Institute's 50-year-old heart is out of the operating room, and it's bigger and better than ever.
The 5,000-square-foot exhibition "The Giant Heart: A Healthy Interactive Experience" will open today and feature four stations where visitors can learn about health and wellness, blood, diagnosis and treatment, and the heart's anatomy and physiology. The centerpiece, of course, is the two-story, walk-through heart, which has a fresh look on the outside and new audio and video inside.
"It's so educational, but at the same time, it's so captivating, so entertaining," says Evan Welsh, a Franklin Institute spokesman. "The bottom line is to educate people on the importance of healthy living and a healthy heart."
Other highlights include a replica of an operating room, where visitors can watch open-heart surgery on a video inside a dummy's chest cavity. Children can become blood cells making their way through clear and clogged arteries, find out the nutritional value of various foods through a talking vending machine, and learn how much blood is inside the body.
An advisory board of doctors provided guidance for the exhibition, ensuring that the medical science was correct and up-to-date.
"The Giant Heart" at the Franklin Institute, 20th Street and the Parkway,
9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. $12.75; $10 seniors and children 4-11. Information: 215-448-1200 or www.fi.edu.
Contact staff writer Dana Reddington at 215-854-2469 or dreddington@phillynews.com.
