Every year Deming holds its Great American Duck Races, an event so unique that it's been covered by national and international press and so fun and wholesome you can bring your whole flock--er, family.
The duck races are just one type of contest among many, all part of an elaborate excuse to get silly. There is the Duck Dance Friday evening at the Hatcreek Saloon and the Tournament of Ducks parade on Saturday morning. A carnival runs all weekend, and there are horseshoe tournaments, “tortilla tosses” with “aerodynamically designed” tortillas, and a “washer tournament,” played with 3”-inch wide metal washers, or “huachas” in border Spanish. There’s a “poker run”—essentially a poker game on motorcycles—hot air balloons, a wild outhouse race through town, a mud bog event, and a green chile cook-off.
This year, the expanded event begins on Thursday, August 24, in the evening with the Duck Royalty Pageants, or contests for the best duck costumes. Adults and children get a chance to look like a duck, walk like a duck, and talk like a duck. <img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/duck_mcpride.gif align=right>The highest prize is a rather staggering $1,000 plus 2 nights at the Inn of the Mountain Gods near Ruidoso. There are several prizes for kids, including from $25 to $100 cash and a bicycle, and they have the cutest names for these categories, such as “Little Waddler” and “Downey Duckling.”
At the cook-off site this year there’s going to be a kind of “open season” on food entries (sorry for the pun), where any passerby can get a bite of whatever dish he’d like for free. Previously one had to pay a buck. The two categories in the cook-off are salsa and green chile dishes, and prizes run from $50 to $200.
There are two kinds of duck races <img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/Ducke_Race_Winners.gif align=left>- the dry-track and the water-track - and contestants pay an entry fee of $5 to get their duck and get them to the starting line on time. Prizes are very low for the heats, but the grand prize at the end of the festival is about $1,000, depending on how much the festival makes. “Winner takes all” is their time-honored philosophy.
The big race is on Saturday and festivities end on Sunday, August 27th. For an event schedule and a map, visit: www.demingduckrace.com (http://www.demingduckrace.com/) For Other Duck Race info, call: (888) 345-1125 or (505) 544-0469. We hear they're still looking for performers for the event. If you're interested in partcipating, read this article (http://www.steppinoutnewmexico.com/forums/showthread.php?p=400#post400).
The Joe Perk coffee shop concert planned for July got dramatically rained out, so they are hosting Brandon Perrault and his band again on Saturday night at 8:00 pm. This Silver City Band has played at Joe Perk’s since they were nobodies, but has since become popular statewide with their mix of salsa and western. “If feel honored to have someone of his caliber here,” says cafe owner Vivian.
The center for most of the activities is Courthouse Park on the corner of Gold and Ash (just look for the duck crossing road sign on Gold). There are a lot of tall shade trees and cool grass where dozens of both food and crafts vendors set up their tents and tables.
Participants of past years report the events have been "just ducky," and they keep coming back.
For information, including entrance forms for major contests, call Dave Johnson at 888-345-1125 or visit: www.demingduckrace.com (http://www.demingduckrace.com/).
See you at the Duck Races! Until then, Vaya Con Quackos... :p
Deming, NM - July 24,2006: Today, the Deming Duck Race officially released its new Duck Race song for 2006. You can hear the new song at the Deming Duck Race (http://www.demingduckrace.com/) web site or if you have the Real Media Player on your PC, just click here (http://www.demingduckrace.com/dudley.ram).
Deming Ducks Are Preparing To Race!
By Marjorie Lilly - Deming Reporter
© 2006 Majorie Lilly - Reprint Permission Granted
Every year Deming holds its Great American Duck Races, an event so unique that it's been covered by national and international press and so fun and wholesome you can bring your whole flock--er, family.
http://sonewmex.com/images/dan_the_duck_walking.gif
The duck races are just one type of contest among many, all part of an elaborate excuse to get silly. There is the Duck Dance Friday evening at the Hatcreek Saloon and the Tournament of Ducks parade on Saturday morning. A carnival runs all weekend, and there are horseshoe tournaments, “tortilla tosses” with “aerodynamically designed” tortillas, and a “washer tournament,” played with 3”-inch wide metal washers, or “huachas” in border Spanish. There’s a “poker run”—essentially a poker game on motorcycles—hot air balloons, a wild outhouse race through town, a mud bog event, and a green chile cook-off.
http://sonewmex.com/images/duckrace.gif
Duck Royalty
This year, the expanded event begins on Thursday, August 24, in the evening with the Duck Royalty Pageants, or contests for the best duck costumes. Adults and children get a chance to look like a duck, walk like a duck, and talk like a duck. <img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/duck_mcpride.gif align=right>The highest prize is a rather staggering $1,000 plus 2 nights at the Inn of the Mountain Gods near Ruidoso. There are several prizes for kids, including from $25 to $100 cash and a bicycle, and they have the cutest names for these categories, such as “Little Waddler” and “Downey Duckling.”
At the cook-off site this year there’s going to be a kind of “open season” on food entries (sorry for the pun), where any passerby can get a bite of whatever dish he’d like for free. Previously one had to pay a buck. The two categories in the cook-off are salsa and green chile dishes, and prizes run from $50 to $200.
There are two kinds of duck races <img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/Ducke_Race_Winners.gif align=left>- the dry-track and the water-track - and contestants pay an entry fee of $5 to get their duck and get them to the starting line on time. Prizes are very low for the heats, but the grand prize at the end of the festival is about $1,000, depending on how much the festival makes. “Winner takes all” is their time-honored philosophy.
The big race is on Saturday and festivities end on Sunday, August 27th. For an event schedule and a map, visit: www.demingduckrace.com (http://www.demingduckrace.com/) For Other Duck Race info, call: (888) 345-1125 or (505) 544-0469. We hear they're still looking for performers for the event. If you're interested in partcipating, read this article (http://www.steppinoutnewmexico.com/forums/showthread.php?p=400#post400).
The Joe Perk coffee shop concert planned for July got dramatically rained out, so they are hosting Brandon Perrault and his band again on Saturday night at 8:00 pm. This Silver City Band has played at Joe Perk’s since they were nobodies, but has since become popular statewide with their mix of salsa and western. “If feel honored to have someone of his caliber here,” says cafe owner Vivian.
The center for most of the activities is Courthouse Park on the corner of Gold and Ash (just look for the duck crossing road sign on Gold). There are a lot of tall shade trees and cool grass where dozens of both food and crafts vendors set up their tents and tables.
Participants of past years report the events have been "just ducky," and they keep coming back.
For information, including entrance forms for major contests, call Dave Johnson at 888-345-1125 or visit: www.demingduckrace.com (http://www.demingduckrace.com/).
See you at the Duck Races! Until then, Vaya Con Quackos... :p
Deming, NM - July 24,2006: Today, the Deming Duck Race officially released its new Duck Race song for 2006. You can hear the new song at the Deming Duck Race (http://www.demingduckrace.com/) web site or if you have the Real Media Player on your PC, just click here (http://www.demingduckrace.com/dudley.ram).