The Great Snake River Greenbelt Duck Race returns Saturday for its 35th year.
The community event is made possible by the Idaho Falls Rotary Club and with many volunteers and businesses coming together.
Kerry Hammon is the director of Downtown Development of Idaho Falls. She’s been a Rotarian for many years and helps coordinate the Duck Race.
“Tradition, heritage. It’s excitement, it’s fun, it's family, it’s fun to watch the ducks go over the falls,” Hammon said.
Every year, the community buys thousands of ducks. Then, volunteers hand label every one of them with a number.
How do the ducks get into the water?
A large crane with a bucket filled with ducks, triggered from a cord, pours the rubber mallards into the Snake River as they bob their way to the falls.
The Rotary Club has volunteers above and below the falls to collect the rubber ducks.
The special number on each duck is what decides the winner.
“Numbers are put on the ducks by dedicated human beings every year, who keep track of that and that’s how we track of which duck actually goes over the falls first,” Hammon said.
It’s a busy weekend in Idaho Falls and the Duck Race isn’t the only event happening.
According to duckrace.com, Friday night features a Classic Car Cruise and Poker Run at Skyline High School at 5:30 p.m., a free dinner with live music, and a car show from 6-8 p.m.
at Stones Kia on 1222 N. Woodruff Ave.
Duck Race festivities start on Saturday, on the West side of the Riverwalk. Events include high-performance boat races, a car show, obstacle courses, a ping-pong drop for kids, and much more with 30 different vendors.
And the crowning event?
The ducks are dropping at 4 p.m.
After the race, at 8 p.m., the Idaho Falls Downtown Development is hosting Footloose Falls at the Broadway Plaza across the river. It’s a free and family friendly dance with dance instruction, including salsa and other styles.
“I grew up dancing and I want to bring dance and music back to downtown Idaho Falls,” Hammon said.
The race started over 30 years ago to help develop the greenbelt around the river.
“They started doing it (the Idaho Falls Rotary Club) as a fundraiser working in conjunction with the City of Idaho Falls to develop the greenbelt, which is now called the Greenbelt/Riverwalk,” Hammon said.
The money raised by the events goes into the pavement work, art installments and benches throughout the green space.
That’s how they keep the core of the city alive and Hammon has a unique name for it.
“It’s so that we can keep the core of the city, which I call the city’s living room, alive and thriving,” Hammon said.
You can join the fun and support the community by purchasing a duck for the race at duckrace.com/idahofalls.