Pequabuck River Duck Race Returns Oct. 3

By Dean Wright, The Bristol Press

September 21, 2021

The annual Pequabuck River Duck Race returns for its 16th year Oct.3.

The festival will start at 10 a.m. and will end around 4 p.m. Ducks will race at 2 p.m.

“The (Central Connecticut Chambers of Commerce) is the sponsor of the Pequabuck River Duck Race,” said Chambers Communication and Marketing Director Katie D'Agostino. “Obviously with covid, many changes have happened. We didn’t have our 2020 race and this year, in order to have our 2021 race, we had to move the date.”

D’Agostino said that historically the duck race was held the first Sunday in May and this year ,and moving forward, it will be the first Sunday in October. Covid was the main reason but for the past roughly eight years, it’s rained on the day of the race and the river was “too swollen,” said the director.

“We have had the pleasure over the past few years of morphing this event more into a festival,” said the director. “The duck race started with the Forestville Village Association. This was their event and it happens at Central Street Bridge. They partnered with us and did a fantastic job of it… Through the course of time, it transitioned to being managed and sponsored under the chambers. The association is still super involved.”

D’Agostino said she believed this was the fifth year the chambers had sponsored the event. She thanked the association and said the event wouldn’t be possible without them.

“It’s been changed into an all day festival,” she said. “We close down the streets. We close down Central Street, East Main Street and Broad Street and we have vendors, anything from crafters to sometimes window replacement companies or entities that want to come down. We have food trucks and a game zone area for the kids.”

Among the area are also inflatables for youth. The chambers will be working with Bristol Hospital and Hartford Healthcare as well as other local medical professionals to host a health fair at the duck race for the first time. Covid vaccines will also be offered.

Around 5,000 rubber ducks will be dumped into the river, each with a number on the bottom of them. Ducks have to be a “regulation size” said the director and that there were duck races throughout the country. Participants pay $5 to be registered to a duck. First place will see the winner gain $1,500, second $750 and third a 32-inch smart HDTV. Further prizes are given to the corresponding place listing on down, among those gift cards to area businesses and more. There are typically around three dozen prizes, said D’Agostino.

Ducks get dumped in the river near Crowley Auto Group and are caught at the Central Street Bridge. A $5 ticket is required to enter the race. The festival admission is free to the public. Proceeds go to the chambers beautification committee to help out regional town projects.

More information can be found on the chambers webpage and social media.