WASHINGTON — For the 15th straight year, the D.C. Dragon Boat race and festival got underway Saturday. More than 1,200 people representing 50 teams participated in a series of races on a course laid out near the Thompson Boat Center near Georgetown.

The two-day festival, which runs through Sunday, features not only the boat races, but also tents displaying various Chinese cultural events, such as jewelry making.

The event is coordinated and sponsored by the Chinese Women’s League of Washington, D.C.