Mama Duck is coming to Ohio.
In what its website describes as the world's biggest rubber duck, "Mama Duck" will be making an appearance at the Festival of Sail, to be held July 12-15 in Sandusky, Ohio. According to the duck's website—thebigduck.us—it is the only scheduled appearance for Mama Duck so far in 2018.
Mama Duck first appeared in Los Angeles in 2014 and is making its first appearance in Ohio. The duck is 61 feet tall, 64 feet wide, 74 feet long and weighs 30,000 pounds.
Mama Duck stalking another ship.
In 2017 Mama Duck made appearances throughout Canada, highlighted by an appearance in Toronto for the Ontario 150 tour. It's also made appearances in Philadelphia, Long Island, N.Y.; Syracuse, N.Y.; Green Bay, Wis.; Duluth, Min.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Erie, Pa.; Toronto; and Tacoma, Wash.
And while the duck is mostly made of vinyl, a spokesman confirmed that there is some rubber involved in its construction.
As for her appearance in Sandusky, Mama Duck will be available during festival hours starting with the Parade of Sale on July 12. Ticket options are available at the festival website—festofsailsandusky.com. The event runs from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. on July 12, then from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. July 13-15.
Attendees can come and look, but won't be able to ride the duck. She also cannot withstand certain weather conditions and may need to be deflated for both her safety and those in attendance. A similar sized duck, floating alongside the Chinese coast, was swept away in a storm.
While the storm was no laughing matter, locals did have fun with the ensuing "duck hunt." One radio station even solicited tips from listeners.
That duck was never found. Fortunately, the handlers of Mama Duck have better safety precautions in place.
You can catch up with Mama Duck on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Chris Sweeney loves rubber ducks, but the world is not his bathtub. Follow him on Twitter @CSweeneyRPN.
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