Downtown Naperville Alliance and the Naperville Riverwalk Foundation will release 2,026 bright colored ducks into the DuPage River to raise money for Riverwalk education and improvements.
The Riverwalk Duck Race returns at 11AM Friday, June 5, 2026, rain or shine, with thousands of bright colored ducks competing in a short, current-powered sprint through the heart of downtown. Hosted by the Downtown Naperville Alliance in collaboration with the Naperville Riverwalk Foundation, the event is designed to spotlight the Riverwalk while funding programs that support it.
Organizers said 2,026 ducks will be released into the DuPage River at the Eagle Street Bridge and will float to the finish near the Riverwalk Moser Covered Bridge at Webster Street. Each adopted duck is linked to an entry, and winners are determined by the first ducks to hit the finish-line-net.
Adoptions are available online only. A single duck costs $10; a Quack Pack includes three ducks for $25; and a Family Flock includes 15 ducks for $100. Sales end at 11:59PM Thursday, June 4, 2026, or until 2,026 ducks are sold – which ever comes first. Ducks will not be sold on race day.
Duck Race Prizes
- Grand prize: $1,981 (marking the year the Naperville Riverwalk was dedicated during the city’s sesquicentennial)
- Second prize: $300 in Downtown Naperville gift cards
- Third prize: $150 in Downtown Naperville gift cards
To adopt a duck, visit the Riverwalk Duck Race campaign page at go.rallyup.com/riverwalk-duck-race. Organizers encourage residents and local businesses to share the event and adopt early, as ducks sold out a week before last year’s race.
Participants do not need to be present to win. Proceeds benefit the Naperville Riverwalk Foundation, supporting education and enhancements along the Riverwalk’s brick paths. Let wildlife be wild! Don’t feed the ducks. Race them.
Naperville Riverwalk Foundation
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 and the Naperville Park District to design, build and maintain the Riverwalk.
The Riverwalk Foundation is managed by a volunteer board of directors whose responsibilities as good stewards are to oversee the receipt and distribution of donated funds and other resources that shall be used for educational programs and special projects identified by the Riverwalk Commission that enhance the entire Naperville Riverwalk from Hillside Road to Jefferson Avenue.
The Riverwalk Foundation operates independently and as a separate entity from the City of Naperville, Naperville Park District, Naperville Riverwalk Commission, Century Walk and the Moser Tower and Millennium Carillon.
