Great Snake River Greenbelt Duck Race to be held next week
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The following is a news release from the Idaho Falls Rotary Club.
IDAHO FALLS — The 27th annual Great Snake River Greenbelt Duck Race will be held on Saturday, August 19, 2017 on River Parkway.
Various pre-race activities and events will take place leading up to Saturday’s duck drop scheduled for 4 p.m.
Ducks can be adopted online or at sponsor locations including Broadway Ford, Idaho Central Credit Union or the Idaho Falls Visitor’s Center.
Proceeds from the next two Duck Races will go toward the development of the city’s newest park, Heritage Park, which is located at the south end of Snake River Landing, across Sunnyside Road from Ryder Park.
The fun begins on Friday, Aug. 18 with a Classic Car Cruise & Poker Run. Drivers will meet at 5:30 p.m. at Snake River Landing for instructions and registration. They will then cruise through Snake River Landing and downtown Idaho Falls collecting poker cards. The cruise concludes at Broadway Ford for poker prizes, food and live music provided by The Affection Collection. The event is free and open to the public.
Saturday’s events begin at John’s Hole Bridge and Keefer’s Island with a speedboat race from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., provided by Snake River Speedboats. A classic car show will also be held by John’s Hole Bridge.
New this year is a kid’s bow & arrow shooting range sponsored by Cabela’s Sporting Goods. Home Depot will once again host the “build it” projects for kids, HK Contractors will entertain crowds with a ping-pong ball drop, and spectators are encouraged to keep their eyes on the sky for flyovers and Farr Candy Bombs. Add the Big Brothers, Big Sisters’ craft booths and food vendors, and you have a full day of fantastic fun for the entire family to enjoy.
There will be helicopters and military displays, and an obstacle course provided by the Ammon Fire Department.
The Great Snake River Greenbelt Duck Race is hosted by the Idaho Falls Rotary Club. The event has become one of the largest festivals in Idaho Falls, second only to the Independence Day celebrations. In fact, it may become the largest event in Idaho Falls this year, as the date coincides with the Great American Eclipse.
Over the years, the Duck Race has generated more than $3 million, money used for improvements and expansion of Idaho Falls’ River Walk. The City of Idaho Falls received matching grants and leveraged the $3 million raised to triple that amount.
Prior River Walk improvements include over seven miles of multi-use paths on both sides of the river, a path beneath the railroad and at Pancheri Drive, renovation of the Japanese Friendship Garden, development of Ryder Park and the three time award-winning River Gardens just north of the Pancheri Bridge.