What the Duck!
Everything's Coming Up Duckie
Ever year, on the third Saturday in September, thousands of rubber duckies take the long arduous journey down Sucker Brook in Auburn before finishing their epic swim at the Manchester Water Works dam, and tipping down the falls to splash into the waiting arms of flood boot wearing volunteers.
And by long I mean a few hundred yards. By epic I mean if they can make it without getting tangled in the weeds. And by into the waiting arms I mean IF the volunteers can catch all the ducks before they escape the murky confines of Sucker Brook and break free into Lake Massabesic where irritated fishermen and water works staff must contend with their quacky rubberiness.
A short trip or not, this year’s 31st Auburn Day Duck Race saw 3,200 ducks racing according to the Auburn Historical Association, the prime sponsor of the event. There were Quack Packs, duck charms and Pick a Ducks and yes, there was even a Duck Mascot making the rounds.
While my library is not involved, per se, in the planning of the event, we are right in the middle of it all - thousands of people walking past us on the closed street, exploring vendors and eating corn on the cob. So, first, we made the decision to be closed for the day. Why? Primarily, because the last time were were open during the Duck Race, we were unable - and our plumbing was unable - to handle the huge influx of users. We can barely handle ever-increasing patron usage as it is.
Instead, this was our third annual Author’s Alley in the parking lot! We gathered authors from around the region - this time 17 of them - to set up their wares under pop ups in our parking lot. From horror to romance to many kids authors and even a Viking cookbook author cooking stew, the selection was varied to say the least.
While our duck race is quite large considering the size of Auburn, these events aren’t unique. Duck Races or Derbies take place across the country. A quick search found them in North Carolina, Texas and Iowa for example. Here in New Hampshire, sister towns Nashua, Jackson and Keene all hold them.
To be certain, if weather behaves, these events can be quite profitable for the non-profits who run them and the vendors who take part. But really, it’s just an excuse for the town to come together, catch up on news, meet with department heads like myself out in the wild and suck down some tacos and ice cream.
Not a big deal. Totally common. But yet, entirely critical, these little gatherings. Duck Race as Community Square. A little marching band, some pie eating and a whole lot of balloon animals. We also used the opportunity to sign up a bunch of residents for library cards.
Meantime, Little Bean somehow managed to come home with pockets full of tiny duck necklaces!
Have any of you been to duck races? Tell us about them!
Housekeeping: Music and The Warning fans, we’re working on some material from the fabulous show a few days ago, sorry it’s taken so long! Our goal is to have at least a few notes and observations for tomorrow’s Day By Day and then something fuller later. Or I might wait until the weekend. I will certainly at least have some video you can look at tomorrow. Stay tuned!
This is such a fun event and I look forward to it every year! And now that I know this was the third year of Author's Alley and my third year participating, I'll have to make sure I never miss a year!
I had a blast. Thank you for inviting me!