The Maplewood Memorial Day Duck Race is just 8 days away and it’s anyone’s guess which ducks will win.
There are 6 heats in the race and 700 ducks per heat, but U.S. Senator Cory Booker is placing his bets on just one of the hundreds of ducks in the running. (Booker is pictured here with the duck and Kate Cestar Epstein of the Metro YMCAs of the Oranges.)
The Duck Race takes place on Monday, May 30, after the Maplewood Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony at Town Hall (usually around 11 a.m.), with ducks being dumped into the Rahway River for each heat at the Oakview Avenue bridge in Memorial Park. Spectators crowd the banks of the river in the park to cheer for the ducks. Winners enjoy prizes from local businesses and sponsors. Proceeds support local charities.
Read more about the sponsors and beneficiaries of the race here.
Booker has booked one duck, but others are still available. Purchase your duck tickets at the following locations:
- South Mountain YMCA Welcome Center, 13 Jefferson Ave
- South Mountain YMCA Early Childhood Learning Center, 10 West Parker Ave
- Maplewood Stationers, 171 Maplewood Ave
- Wednesday May 25 from 7:15-9:15am at South Orange Train station
- Online at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/duck-race-tickets-23122317474\
The Duck Race is an iconic Maplewood event founded in 1998 by the Maplewood Kiwanis to support local charities. This year, the South Mountain YMCA is taking over management of the race. (Read about the history of the race here.)
