Above / Back in 2025, jumbo ducks were winging it for Castle Jeep to help spread kindness and camaraderie among spectators at the Riverwalk Duck Race. Friday morning, June 5, 2026, Castle Automobile will return to the Naperville Township parking lot by the covered bridge with a display of rubber ducks, all sizes, on the dashboard of a model Jeep Wrangler. Cheers! (PN File Photo)
Riverwalk Duck Race Raffle Tickets on sale thru June 4!
Good old summertime will be unleashed when the latest painted sculptures—24 dogs and one cat—high tail it to celebrate many summer attractions in downtown Naperville. The exact date will be posted soon when the annual tradition returns with the colorful artistry and whimsy of 25 different themes on display to dot the landscape all summer long throughout downtown Naperville. This year is the first time a theme, “Dog Days of Summer,” has been repeated, organizers said. Back in 2019, downtown first featured popular canine varieties.
“There’s always something fun happening in Downtown Naperville,” said Katie Wood, Executive Director of Downtown Naperville Alliance. “From new store openings, Mother’s Day events, and people shopping for teachers, grads, moms and dads, too … it’s always a great time to head downtown.”
And this time of year, DNA Gift Certificates often are perfect to fill the bill.
A map with locations of all the dogs and a cat will be available by late May, providing an online guide at downtownnaperville.com to find them once they are completed and installed.
In addition to the painted sculptures, another fun event planned is the return of the Riverwalk Duck Race in the DuPage River, with proceeds benefiting the Riverwalk Foundation. Wood noted the Downtown Naperville Alliance is happy again to be the “Presenting Sponsor” and Castle Automotive Group will be the “Race Sponsor.”
Let wildlife be wild to find natural food naturally
Since its inception, the Riverwalk Duck Race has been focused on educating the public not to feed bread crumbs and human snacks to ducks and other waterfowl. Feeding wildlife human snacks is deleterious to their health. Many folks have fond childhood memories of feeding ducks at local ponds. Scientific research became more public about 25 years ago, identifying that while bread is not poisonous, if bread becomes a staple in a duck’s diet, the high-carbohydrate diet can cause a wing deformity known as “angel wing.”
Signs are posted along the Riverwalk and throughout the whole wide world to remind all ages not to feed the ducks.
Throwing crumbs of stale bread in a pond or river has been a popular fun experience for family outings dating back more than 100 years. Yet, all these years later experts say local feeding prevents ducks and geese from migrating. And experts warn that feeding ducks bread is not just bad for the bird’s health—it can damage entire ecosystems and create messes along the sidewalks that call for public works to clean up.
The date for the Rubber Duck race is Fri., June 5, 2026, rain or shine. Gather on both sides of the DuPage River between the Eagle Street Bridge and the Covered Bridge at Webster Street. After trumpeter Bob Binder sounds “Call to the Post,” 2,026 rubber ducks will be dropped into the mighty DuPage River from the Eagle Street Bridge where they will float toward the Riverwalk Covered Bridge at Webster Street.
Experienced at the net, the good folks at the Naperville Park District who never duck sharing their expert experiences say the race will take less than 10 minutes. Park District staff will “catch” the three prize-winning rubber duckies as they cross under the Riverwalk Moser Covered Bridge at Webster Street. A large poster will display the winners. Duck adoptees do not have to be present to win.
Watch for news of the much-appreciated businesses that are sponsoring the 2026 Summer Sculptures to promote the return of the Dog Days of Summer, complete with their locations throughout downtown.
Also, watch for duck tales to be told as they happen to promote the annual Riverwalk Duck Race. Buy a duck number for $10, 3 duck numbers for $25 or 15 duck numbers for $100. The Riverwalk Foundation appreciates all support of the Duck Race that helps remind folks not to feed the ducks bread crumbs and other human snacks.
Cheers to 2,026 rubber duckies and the big splash they’ll make when they begin the race on June 5.
Spectators also are invited to make it a day in downtown Naperville. After the race, dine out in a downtown Naperville eatery, order take-out for a picnic along the Riverwalk and, of course, save time to chase all the picture-perfect animal sculptures shaped like dogs and a cat.
Note also: Stay tuned for all the May, June, July and August events posted online, including Naperville Municipal Band outdoor concerts beginning at 7:30PM every Thursday from June 4 through Aug. 14 in Central Park.
