A staple of Auburn’s Memorial Day celebrations is changing for its 2025 rendition.
Instead of launching rubber ducks down the Owasco River as is usually done, this year, event organizers will put the tickets sold for the derby into a bin with winners drawn by City Councilor Ginny Kent at 2:30p at Market Street Park. Ten cash prizes ranging from $100-$1,500 will be selected.
Melissa Panek is the Vice President of TomatoFest, which puts on the Duck Derby along with The Ancient Order of Hibernians and Onondaga Coach.
“Looking at how much rain we’ve had this year, we made the conscious decision not to let the Duck Derby’s tradition die, but to look at more unique ways to continue bringing the derby so that, no matter what the weather is, the community can keep enjoying this event.
Last year, heavy rains caused many ducks to go over the fencing in the river and become temporarily lost. The ducks have since been recovered.
Panek added that the change for 2025 does not mean the traditional derby is gone for good; rather, organizers are exploring ways to keep the tradition alive while mitigating the reality that heavy rains can have on the event. She said that organizers are exploring ways to retain the traditional elements of the derby that people love while also evolving.
“We’re always looking for our events to keep our traditions while also adapting to where we are here in the city… We want to make an event that’s going to last.”
To keep with the duck theme, there will be duck-themed children’s activities and merchandise at the event.
Tickets can be purchased at Auburn Bagel Co., Auburn YMCA-WEIU, Hairlooms, NYS Equal Rights Heritage Center, Lyons National Bank, Knights of Columbus, Silbert Optical, Speno Music, and Wild Flower NY. Tickets will also be sold on Memorial Day by volunteers downtown.
Proceeds from the Duck Derby go to support Cayuga County food pantries and community services.
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