Above / Here’s hoping this Riverwalk duck tale fits the bill with a happy ending near the Eagle Street Bridge one of these days. (PN Photo)
Update, July 7, 2021 / After much deliberation, the Riverwalk Foundation opted to hold off hosting the Riverwalk Duck Race until 2022. Meanwhile, the Riverwalk will begin its 40th year on Labor Day Weekend. Watch for details about a brief rededication ceremony being planned on Mon., Sept. 6. Thanks to the Naperville Park District and past presenting sponsor, Busey Bank!
Original Post, Aug. 11, 2020 / Back in 2016, members of the Naperville Riverwalk Foundation took a quack at hosting its first duck race to celebrate the 35th anniversary year of the city’s natural treasure. Families and friends responded by purchasing numbered plastic ducks for $5 each with a chance to win cash prizes. The grand prize was $1,981, an amount chosen to represent the year of the City’s sesquicentennial, the reason the Riverwalk was imagined for the community in the heart of downtown Naperville. Busey Bank stepped up to be presenting sponsor.
Then for the next four years just prior to the start of school, the Naperville Riverwalk Duck Race continued, presented every time by Busey Bank.
The aim of the event always has been to have some fun educating the community about the deleterious effects of feeding human snacks, especially bread crumbs, to ducks, geese and other waterfowl.
The duck race was planned mid-morning at the end of summer vacation just before school began, providing another opportunity to visit downtown Naperville for back-to-school shopping and lunch after the race.
Then in late January 2020, coronavirus arrived, ruffling everybody’s feathers with an uncertain future; and by mid-March, businesses and parks throughout Illinois were locked down. Duck race organizers joined hundreds of other event planners to wait and see before resetting the date on the summer calendar.
By June, organizers opted to bank the family-friendly fundraising event until 2021. Just as many summertime special events that raise funds for unmet needs, the Riverwalk Duck Race— known to attract hundreds of cheering fans, all gathered near the Eagle Street Bridge to watch as many as 2,000 colorful plastic ducks float from the foot bridge along the DuPage River until they crossed the finish line— was put on hold, mindful of social distancing and other safety protocols.
The past few weeks, folks have inquired about the status of the 2020 five-buck duck race. Some folks suggested hosting a “virtual” event. Organizers were grateful for the interest, but opted not to wing it this summer, as volunteers who coordinated the duck race in the past were hyper busy with their day jobs.
Plans are to host the Riverwalk Duck Race again in 2021.
“We hope everybody will plan to join us next summer when all the numbered ducks again float down the DuPage River—and we can all watch without a mask,” said John Cuff, president of the Riverwalk Foundation. “Meanwhile, follow local safety protocols and enjoy the Riverwalk.”
Find historic markers every day that tell the story of the Riverwalk
Discover something monumental during every visit to the Riverwalk.
Waddle friends of the Riverwalk do?
The Naperville Riverwalk will continue to attract visitors to the sights and sounds of summer along the brick path. Plenty of picnic tables welcome friends and families to pick up lunch or dinner to-go at one of downtown’s many eateries. Simply remember to follow guidelines and safety protocols promoted by the Naperville Park District, always respectful of the health benefits from the great outdoors.
Thanks for getting to know about the Riverwalk Duck Race 2021
Established in 1997, the Naperville Riverwalk Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization. Its mission is to promote, educate and enhance while serving as a conduit for financial gifts that augment the annual commitments of the City of Naperville, Riverwalk Commission and the Naperville Park District to design, build and maintain the Riverwalk.
For more information about the Riverwalk Foundation, visit www.napervilleriverwalkfoundation.org.
To review how folks have supported the Riverwalk Foundation with a five-buck duck, check out Riverwalk Duck Race. Then take a chance same time next year.
