Yellow Rubber Duckies Flock To Collegeville for the May 10th Rubber Ducky Regatta on the Perkiomen Creek Event Provides Water-Themed Fun for the Entire Family!

Wader minute—the duckies are back!  At the quack of dawn on March 31st, thousands of ducks waddled down Collegeville’s Main Street and “ducked” into stores.  Ducks landed in businesses including Bikesport, Dance Depot, Lily Laser & Beauty, Perk Valley Pet Eatery, Whitby Jewelers, Greenwalds Florist, Groomingdales, TR Insurance, Main Street Nutrition, My Friends Tavern, and DaVinci’s Pub.  Some flocked into Mathnasium in the Marketplace at Collegeville, others strolled over the Perkiomen Creek Bridge to Greenheart Café in The Pit Stop.  And another large group flew up Rt. 29 to the Providence Town Center. 

The annual duck migration to Collegeville signals that it is time to prepare for the Second Collegeville Rubber Ducky Regatta, when over 3,000 ducks are set afloat in the Perkiomen Creek.  “This event takes lots of planning, but we always get our ducks in a row in time and the Regatta goes swimmingly,” says Rachael Morrison, Collegeville Economic Development Corporation’s Executive Director.   “Last year everyone saw the pure joy in the event and considered it to be just ducky.  Once individuals started buying the ducks they found they canard stop. The ducks and the race aren’t poultry—they are way more fun!

To compete, individuals buy one or more cute souvenir ducks from any of the Collegeville area’s many participating businesses. For a complete list, visit www.collegevilledevelopment.org.  Ducks are $5 each and the souvenir duck you buy is yours to keep.  Each time an individual buys a duck, he or she will be given a number, which is the number of his or her corresponding race duck which will navigate the Perky.   

Once you buy your ducks, join us from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 10th at the Perkiomen Bridge Hotel to celebrate everything we love about the Perkiomen Creek.   This fun competition pits each person’s rubber ducky against your neighbors' and friends' ducks as they race (or rather slowly float) toward the finish line at the Perkiomen Creek Bridge.

The race will begin up the river from the Perkiomen Bridge Hotel at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 10th and will end at the Perkiomen Creek Bridge.  Winners will be announced at 2:30 p.m.  Individuals do not need to be present to win.

It’s fun for the whole family, and once you have entered the race, you are eligible to compete for wonderful prizes.  Top prizes donated by local businesses will be awarded for the first 30 winning ducks.  They range from gift certificates to our grand prize for the fastest duck on the Perky.

In addition to the duck race, the Rubber Ducky Regatta features an afternoon of fun in the Perkiomen Bridge Hotel parking lot.  There will be a tasty line-up of great eats from local chefs, music, and for kids, there are plenty of water- fish- and duck-themed games, contests, rides and prizes in our Kid’s Area.

With the focus of the afternoon on the creek, The Perkiomen Watershed Alliance will be there to provide us with information about the creek and how we can participate in their many programs to keep the stream healthy.

The Collegeville Fire Company, which is in charge of rescues on the creek, will also be there with their emergency vehicles and boat.

The event is a fundraiser for the Collegeville Economic Development Corporation (CEDC) to enable the group to continue to organize family-friendly events for Collegeville.  The non-profit also maintains a community calendar of everything that is happening locally.  Check it out at www.collegevilledevelopment.org.  For more information about the Rubber Ducky Regatta, see the website, or contact Rachael Morrison at 610 454 1050 or manager@collegevilledevelopment.org.