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09-08-2006, 11:51 PM
Quackers Performed While Crowd Applauded
By Marjorie Lilly - Contributing Reporter
© 2006 Marjorie Lilly - Permission To Use Granted
<table><tr><td valign=top>
Although rain was predicted for the weekend of the Great American Duck races in Deming, the weather turned out to be spectacular and sunny, and tourists flocked (pun intended) to the races in droves. Officials reported there could have been over 20,000 visitors.
With so much going on every day, from the sublime balloon ascension of thirty colorful balloons in the mornings to the silly tortilla toss in the afternoons, there was enough to keep everybody entertained and happy. There were carnival rides, a parade, dances, washer tournaments a wild outhouse race on Silver Street and lots of vendor booths selling all kinds of stuff, from little toy ducks to and Spiderman balloons and duck race T-shirts to Mexican clothes and aguas frescas and lavender products from Datil. Draught horse pulled wagonloads of tourists through the streets of Deming for $2.00.
An original song called “Dudley Duck” was written for the event by local songwriter Cal West. It can be heard at www.demingduckrace.com (http://www.demingduckrace.com/).
The winner of the Green Chile Cook-off was Teresa Escariga with a squash and green chile dish, and the winner for salsa was Becky Armendariz for a green chile and avocado salsa. Visitors got lucky this year and could sample the entries for free.
Rona Wattier charmed the judges of the Duck Royalty Pageant on Thursday night with her duck costume and won the title of Duck Queen. “Quack, quack,” she remarked to this reporter on the $1,000 she received. With the Little Waddlers and the Downy Ducklings categories for children and all the others, the prize money was over $2,000.
In the Duck Races themselves on Saturday and Sunday, preteens Luis Estevan and Serena Pack won a total of $1,290 for the “dry track” races (Serena was handed one of Luis’ ducks at the last minute) and grown-up Ray Merrill won $1290 for the more popular, splashier “wet track” races.
The winning ducks were not available for comment.
The Deming Duck Races are such a fun event for so many people that they keep coming back for more every year.
Steppin' Out's Reporter was 'on the spot' for the big event wih camera in hand. As a result, we have created a special gallery of the photos we took that day. You can find our Deming Duck Race Photo Gallery here (http://www.steppinoutnewmexico.com/pp-514/showgallery.php/cat/578).
(Truth in Reporting: Marjorie Lilly is Steppin' Out's Southwestern New Mexico Regional Representative and Contributing Reporter.)
</td><td valign=top width=154><center><a href=http://sonewmex.com/images/DuckRace13_sm.jpg><img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/DuckRace13_sm_tn.jpg border=1></a>
<a href=http://sonewmex.com/images/DuckRace02_sm.jpg><img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/DuckRace02_sm_tn.jpg border=1></a>
<a href=http://sonewmex.com/images/DuckRace10_sm.jpg><img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/DuckRace10_sm_tn.jpg border=1></a></center></td></tr></table>
By Marjorie Lilly - Contributing Reporter
© 2006 Marjorie Lilly - Permission To Use Granted
<table><tr><td valign=top>
Although rain was predicted for the weekend of the Great American Duck races in Deming, the weather turned out to be spectacular and sunny, and tourists flocked (pun intended) to the races in droves. Officials reported there could have been over 20,000 visitors.
With so much going on every day, from the sublime balloon ascension of thirty colorful balloons in the mornings to the silly tortilla toss in the afternoons, there was enough to keep everybody entertained and happy. There were carnival rides, a parade, dances, washer tournaments a wild outhouse race on Silver Street and lots of vendor booths selling all kinds of stuff, from little toy ducks to and Spiderman balloons and duck race T-shirts to Mexican clothes and aguas frescas and lavender products from Datil. Draught horse pulled wagonloads of tourists through the streets of Deming for $2.00.
An original song called “Dudley Duck” was written for the event by local songwriter Cal West. It can be heard at www.demingduckrace.com (http://www.demingduckrace.com/).
The winner of the Green Chile Cook-off was Teresa Escariga with a squash and green chile dish, and the winner for salsa was Becky Armendariz for a green chile and avocado salsa. Visitors got lucky this year and could sample the entries for free.
Rona Wattier charmed the judges of the Duck Royalty Pageant on Thursday night with her duck costume and won the title of Duck Queen. “Quack, quack,” she remarked to this reporter on the $1,000 she received. With the Little Waddlers and the Downy Ducklings categories for children and all the others, the prize money was over $2,000.
In the Duck Races themselves on Saturday and Sunday, preteens Luis Estevan and Serena Pack won a total of $1,290 for the “dry track” races (Serena was handed one of Luis’ ducks at the last minute) and grown-up Ray Merrill won $1290 for the more popular, splashier “wet track” races.
The winning ducks were not available for comment.
The Deming Duck Races are such a fun event for so many people that they keep coming back for more every year.
Steppin' Out's Reporter was 'on the spot' for the big event wih camera in hand. As a result, we have created a special gallery of the photos we took that day. You can find our Deming Duck Race Photo Gallery here (http://www.steppinoutnewmexico.com/pp-514/showgallery.php/cat/578).
(Truth in Reporting: Marjorie Lilly is Steppin' Out's Southwestern New Mexico Regional Representative and Contributing Reporter.)
</td><td valign=top width=154><center><a href=http://sonewmex.com/images/DuckRace13_sm.jpg><img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/DuckRace13_sm_tn.jpg border=1></a>
<a href=http://sonewmex.com/images/DuckRace02_sm.jpg><img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/DuckRace02_sm_tn.jpg border=1></a>
<a href=http://sonewmex.com/images/DuckRace10_sm.jpg><img src=http://sonewmex.com/images/DuckRace10_sm_tn.jpg border=1></a></center></td></tr></table>