You could be the lucky duck who wins $500 during Duckfest in Summerville, Ga., on Saturday, June 3.
Duckfest is a street party held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. around the historic Summerville Depot, 119 E. Washington St. There will be musical entertainment by Matt Thornton at 11:30 a.m., food and craft vendors, a petting zoo, miniature train ride for children and martial arts demo.
But the highlight of Duckfest is the Duckie Derby at 2 p.m.
It starts with a flock of numbered yellow ducks. Susan Locklear, executive director of Summerville Main Street, says festivalgoers can adopt a duck, which gives them an adoption ticket bearing a number corresponding to one of the ducks.
Duck owners can adopt one for $5, a "six-quack" for $25 or a ducky dozen for $50. Or go for the "max quack," which is 25 ducks for $100. Proceeds benefit downtown development projects.
Tickets will be sold until 1:45 p.m., she says, at which time ducks will be loaded into a holding pond. At 2 o'clock, organizers raise the holding pond's gate and the ducks float out into a creek. They "race" down the creek from Commerce Street bridge to a finish line just past the East Washington Street bridge.
The ticketholder of the winning duck gets $500. The ticketholder for the 13th duck to cross the finish line wins a 40-inch TV with Sony surround sound and a wireless subwoofer sound bar.
"Some people think of 13 as an unlucky number, but in this duck race it will be someone's lucky number," says Locklear.
Rain won't prevent the race from happening because, as we all know, it's just water off a duck's back.
Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.