Estes Park Duck Race Festival

Quacking Up Since 1989

The Estes Park Rotary Duck Race Festival is held annually on the first Saturday in May. The Annual Duck Race continues a tradition started in 1989, which has returned more than $3 million (and counting) to local charities and groups!

Yes, we actually race little yellow ducks down the river… it’s for charity, of course… but it’s also really fun! The whole Estes Park community gets quacky on the first Saturday of May for a fun-filled day!

In the 2024 Duck Race, each charity receives $23 of the money collected from each adoption. This is a truly impressive return ratio that reflects the Rotary Club’s efforts to minimize the Duck Race costs and return the maximum amount of money to the charities.

Each year, 60-70 local Estes Valley charities and groups are selected to become Participating Organizations in the Duck Race. The Rotary Club of Estes Park organizes the Duck Race Festival and handles all the administrative, operational, and financial aspects of the event. During the Duck Race season, people may “adopt” little yellow ducks for the Duck Race and designate the charity of their choice to receive the proceeds of their adoptions. The adopted ducks will be released to float down the Fall River in Estes Park on Race Day. Volunteers at the Finish Line collect the ducks and Prizes are awarded to the adopters of the ducks that cross the finish line first. After the race, the collected funds are distributed to Participating Organizations and Charities on the basis of the number of adoptions credited to each benefitting group.