Back again this summer, the Chicago Ducky Derby is set to make a massive, albeit quirky, impact: Tomorrow, thousands of little yellow rubber ducks will be dumped into the Chicago River—100,000 to be exact—beginning at the historic Columbus Drive Bridge.
The annual rubber duck race, held in benefit of the Special Olympics Illinois, will begin at Pioneer Court on Thursday, August 7 at 10am, with the beloved Splash Down festival to kick off promptly at 1pm. Bring your camera and sense of adventure to support this worthy cause.
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If you’d rather do more than be a spectator, you can make an even bigger impact by "adopting" a duck. Each yellow buddy starts at $10 and can be adopted individually or in larger packages on the day of the race in person at Pioneer Court at 401 North Michigan Avenue until 12:50pm, while supplies last.
The Quack Pack is $30 and includes six ducks, the Ducky Dozen includes 12 ducks and costs $60, the Flock of Ducks includes 24 ducks and costs $120, and the Diamond Duck Pack includes 240 ducks and costs $1,200. So far, nearly 63,000 ducks have been purchased, and those dollars will go to raising funds and awareness for the very deserving Special Olympics Illinois athletes. (Click here to adopt a yellow rubber duck or to purchase fun t-shirts, supporting the event.)
And, yes, there are prizes if your ducky wins! Among the goodies is a Chevy Trailblazer SUV, promoted by Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana Chevy Dealers. Other winnings include a $2,500 cash prize via Wintrust Financial and four coveted premium W Club Chicago Cubs tickets for the Cubs versus Cardinals season finale game at Wrigley Field on September 28. These are high stakes ducks!
Good to know: Race Day parking is available at the Theatre District Self Park at 181 North Dearborn; you can snag a parking discount here.