The Day Thousands Of Rubber Ducks Float Down The Chicago River

By Paula Friedrich
rubber ducks
David Dennis / Flickr
rubber ducks
David Dennis / Flickr

The Day Thousands Of Rubber Ducks Float Down The Chicago River

By Paula Friedrich
WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

Chicagoans know their river for its many colors — blue on a good day, green for St. Paddy’s and yellow for Special Olympics Illinois’ Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby.

The annual fundraiser lets people “adopt” a duck and enter the race down the river for $5, with better chances if you bulk up and get a Quack Pack (6 ducks) or a Flock of Ducks (24 ducks).

Fingers crossed our duck is a winner! Stop by to benefit @specialolympicsillinois #chiduckyderby 🐤

A photo posted by The Wrigley Building (@thewrigleybuilding) on


And it’s a lot of ducks.

When all of them get dumped into the river, it’s a brightly colored, goofy site to behold.

Chicago’s #duckderby2016 😎 #chicagoriver #sofun!!! 60,000 #rubberduckys

A video posted by meredith (@mereamanda) on

Duck river

A photo posted by George Vasels (@gvasels90) on

A photo posted by @chrisrmue on

The ducks that float the fastest win prizes for their adoptive parents.

And all the other ducks can rest easy knowing their adoptive parents know they tried.