CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — Cuyahoga Falls is anything but quiet this weekend as thousands of brightly colored rubber ducks have officially taken over the city for the annual Ohio Rubber Duck Dash, a free, family-friendly festival turning downtown into a playful, high-energy celebration.
At the center of the spectacle, a towering six-story rubber duck now looms over downtown, becoming an instant landmark and a must-see photo stop for festival goers. Visitors can also spot the giant duck installation, which is known as the world's largest rubber duck, stationed at Riverfront Park on Front Street.
From Riverfront Park to the amphitheater stage along Riverfront Parkway, the city has been transformed into a whimsical race course where fun meets community spirit, and yes, a few thousand floating competitors are stealing the show.
The main event kicks off at noon, with the highly anticipated duck races beginning at 1:30 p.m. Organizers say around 10,000 adopted rubber ducks will race along an inflatable track designed and built by students participating in the Six District Entrepreneur Program. This ambitious hands-on project is led completely by students who have worked on the Ohio Rubber Duck Festival all year.
"I've learned really how hard it is to really run something and put it on. I've learned a lot about sales, budgeting, financing, all these different things that I would've never learned in the classroom. This taught me everything," said Reaghan Randall, Ohio Rubber Duck Festival organizer.
"To add on to that, I feel like we learned a lot of communication. We've had so many experiences talking to people, being on the news, talking to businesses, so I think that's been a really great learning experience," said McKenzie Bosko, Ohio Rubber Duck Festival organizer.
Winners from each heat of 1,000 ducks will advance through the tournament-style races, with prizes ranging from cash and gift cards to Cleveland Guardians tickets and even a year of free Swensons.
Beyond the races, the festival stretches across the day with food trucks, live music, and student-created art installations scattered throughout the park. Organizers say the goal is to blend entertainment with education while bringing the community together in an unexpectedly joyful way.
The Ohio Rubber Duck Dash Festival runs until 4 p.m. Saturday.
