Several hundred residents flocked to the Grand River to watch 3,000 rubber ducks race downstream in Brantford on Sunday, July 12, 2026.
The excitement was all part of the Downtown Brantford BIA’s new DuckFest event taking place over the weekend.
Building on the success of the BIA’s Catch-A-Ducky event, DuckFest expanded it into two afternoons of family-friendly festivities featuring live music, games, prizes and a whole lot of rubber ducks, all in support of Woodview Mental Health and Autism Services.
In the lead-up to the race, members of the public were given the chance to adopt one or more of the 3,000 ducks, with sales raising more than $9,200 for Woodview.
“Given that we are the Downtown BIA, we of course, wanted a charity partner that was located downtown,” said Sean McAllister, BIA Secretary. “Woodview is such an awesome service to the people who need it; they’re always there and they’re just fantastic, so we’re happy to help give back.”
Following an afternoon of fun at Saturday’s third annual Catch-A-Ducky event in Harmony Square, residents gathered in Brant’s Crossing Park the next day to watch the highly anticipated race.
“It’s so exciting to see all of you here as we bring back a tradition in Brantford that’s been missed for over 20 years,” McAllister told the crowd. “What started as an idea, has become an incredible community event, and that is all because of you.”
Guests of all ages played games, got their faces painted, and enjoyed live music performances from Hope Guthrie and the Greg Zaluski Band before and after the race began.
When the moment finally arrived, 3,000 rubber ducks were dropped from the Lorne Bridge, sending a sea of yellow falling into the river below.
Spectators followed the ducks’ journey downstream, with many families and individuals speed-walking along the path to join other onlookers on the TH&B Crossing Bridge.
After reaching the finish line, volunteers collected the rubber bath ducks from the river, leaving no duck behind and ensuring the waterway was left just as they found it.
The top three finishers were announced a short while later, with first place winners, April Simon and Tyler Hitchcock, taking home $1,800, second place $900, and third place $300.
Speaking to the Brant Beacon after announcing the winners, McAllister said he and the other members of the BIA were thrilled to see well over 2,000 people enjoying the downtown core.
“Our whole goal, our mandate, is to promote and beautify the downtown area and to promote the businesses that are within it,” he said. “With the Brant Crossing Park area being part of downtown, it’s always great to have and to see people here because that’s what we want. We want downtown to be vibrant again.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
