One of the 15 giant, brightly painted ducks that can be found throughout downtown Harrisburg.
On Wednesday morning, a clear tarp was stretched down Walnut Street.
A fire truck blocked the road and blasted water down the slick surface. And one by one, spectators began to gather for an event like nothing Harrisburg has seen before.
By noon, hundreds of Harrisburg residents and workers, parents and children lined up between 2nd and 3rd streets to witness 900 rubber ducks careen down a make-shift water slide, each hoping their duck would win the race and that they might walk home with a $1,000 check in their name.
The rubber duck race—and the entertaining slip ‘n slide relay between Harrisburg police officers and firefighters that followed—was part of an event by the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District and Kamionka Entertainment Group to kick off this summer’s downtown art project, “Discover the Ducks Downtown.” All of the money raised went to the Harrisburg Fire Bureau.
Harrisburg firefighters competed with police officers during Wednesday’s inflatable duck race down Walnut Street.
Fifteen fiberglass ducks, painted by local artists in coordination with Sprocket Mural Works, flew into Harrisburg the night before the event and will stay through September, placed throughout downtown. According to HDID Executive Director Todd Vander Woude, the ducks are kid-friendly, tie into Harrisburg’s own Susquehanna River and gave artists lots of canvas space.
“The ducks are great way to brighten up downtown for the summer,” HDID Director of Marketing and Special Events Leigh Ann Urban stated.
While the idea has been floating around for almost a year, planning for “Discover the Ducks Downtown” only kicked off after the HDID’s last large event, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The rubber duck race and relay did not have any type of rehearsal, but Vander Woude was ecstatic with the “overwhelming response” by the community.
“Seeing the crowd that was there, the families, kids—I think it went fantastic,” Vander Woude said.
The finishing line of the rubber ducky race.
In the past, HDID has sponsored fire hydrant and tree pot paintings and installed artistic bike racks around downtown. Last year’s Dino-Mite Summer program tripled the HDID’s visitor log, according to Vander Woude, and this summer is already paced to exceed that.
“I really think it’s a great event to show off downtown,” Vander Woude said.
Would you like to check out the painted ducks for yourself? Maps of the ducks’ locations can be found at the HDID office on N. 2nd Street or online. Or, even better, just wander around downtown awhile.
Author: Allison Moody
