Hundreds of residents flocked to the Rotary Satellite Club of Paris’ second annual Duck Derby on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
The event, held at Paris Lions Park, featured a whole lineup of free activities for young families including face painting, colouring stations, bubbles and temporary tattoos.
While some settled in to enjoy live music from Liam McGarry or browsed the offerings of roughly ten vendors on site, others made sure to enter into the 50/50 draw or line up for an ice cream from What’s the Scoop or the Chip Ship’s signature dill pickle fries.
As the afternoon went on, excitement continued to build for the event’s main attraction: watching more than 800 bright yellow duck toys tumble from Penman’s Pass Bridge and race down the Nith River to the finish line just past the Mechanic Street Bridge.
Prior to the drop, participants could purchase one or more ducks for a chance to win a monetary prize. The owner of the first duck to cross the finish line received $1,500 while the second-, third-, fourth- and fifth-place finishers each received $250.
Emily Davis, Chair of the Rotary Satellite Club Paris, said the money raised through duck sales and the 50/50 will go to supporting local initiatives.
“The funds go right back into the community,” she said. “Every year, we look at what is needed in the community, and decide where our funds are going from there. This year we’re handing out two large cheques, one for the Raw Carrot and the other for the Arnold Anderson Sport Fund, and they’re both getting $2,000.”
As the time for the duck derby approached, many attendees headed to Penman’s Pass Bridge to watch as the bright yellow toys tumbled into the water below.
Several families soon made their way along the riverside path to catch glimpses of the yellow racers through the breaks in the foliage, while those set up at the Mechanic Street Bridge eagerly awaited their arrival.
Set up along the banks of the Nith, many youngsters excitedly watched as the first duck crossed the finish line, followed shortly by the others. Davis later announced the winning racers: duck 433 took first place, followed by duck 402 in second, duck 689 in third, duck 597 in fourth and duck 401 in fifth.
The Rotary Club later took to social media to thank everyone who participated, noting that Davis told the Brant Beacon she was happy with the turnout on the day of.
“It’s been so nice to welcome everyone back to our second annual Duck Derby,” she said. “The weather has been so great today, which has been amazing; especially because while people could purchase the ducks online, a lot of our friends like to come out on the day, so we’re grateful that it’s been so nice, and we’re thankful to our community for taking part.”
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.
