Minnehaha Creek Duck Race
Photo: Samantha Smetana
Congratulations to our
Grey Duck Raffle Winners
Jenni Vaillancourt
Joy Shealer Orson
Lisa Harrison
We will be reaching out to you to coordinate about your prize!
Duck race participants and assigned duck numbers can be seen by clicking here!
Did you take photos at the Duck Race this year? If you have any that you’d like to share with us, please send in an email to FRNNG@frnng.org or tag us on Instagram: (@fieldreginanorthrop_mpls)
or Facebook (@FRNNG)
We may use them in upcoming promotions.
Our Duck Race 2026 Wrap-Up
Thanks to everyone who came out and participated in our 6th annual Duck Race! It was a glorious sunny day and neighbors of all ages gathered to have fun watching the ducks in the creek, and enjoying all the action at our lively festival.
Here are the winners of the race — the “sponsors” of the first 20 ducks to reach the finish line. If your name is on the list, congratulations! Please reach out to us at FRNNG@frnng.org if you didn’t already receive your prize (we’ll try reaching out to you as well).
Amanda Johnson (Grand Prize Winner)
Teegan McFall
Rachel Dyrud
Sherry May
Emily Lamberty
Maria Baklund
Derek (dsp.neo)
Joy Shealer Orson
Rajiv Vaidyanathan
Amy Addy
Michelle Kujawski
Meredith Barzen
Miranda White
Rae Wilde
Amy Addy
Michelle Meuer
Mandy (mrsmandy1975)
Tim Stammeyer
Nathan Otremba
Young Aeschbacher
Special Thanks to the Sponsors of the 2026 Duck Race
We extend our gratitude and appreciation to all our sponsors. You helped so much to make our Duck Race a successful community event!
The Duck Race is one of the most beloved spring events in South Minneapolis. Each year, hundreds of neighbors gather along Minnehaha Creek to cheer on thousands of bright yellow rubber ducks as they race downstream. It’s a joyful, high‑energy community tradition that brings together families, local businesses, and visitors from across Minneapolis.
Saturday, May 2, 2026
11:00am - 2:00pm
Minnehaha Creek
Start: 12th Avenue Bridge & Minnehaha Parkway
Finish: 17th Avenue and Minnehaha Parkway
Thanks to Girl.AboutTown and Nokomis.Nate on Instagram for sharing these fun Duck Race videos!
(Click images to watch.)
Buy Your Duck Today
Sorry, ducks are sold out for 2026!
Spice up race day by sponsoring a duck (or a flock of them). After the race, stop by the FRNNG table to check out the posted list to see if your duck is among the first across the finish line. If you’re in the top 20, pick out a prize at the race. Number 1 will win our grand prize!
2026 Grand Prize Announced!
FRNNG is proud to partner with local artist Jenny Berkowitz, owner of Jenny of all Trades, for this year’s Duck Race — and to introduce an exciting new grand prize: a custom house portrait created just for the winner.
Her Duck Race contributions include:
Grand Prize: Custom house portrait
Duck Race Additional Prize: 8x10 print
Raffle Prize: 8x10 print
Meet Jenny at the Finish Line
Jenny will host a table at the Duck Race finish line, where attendees can browse and purchase prints. Stop by to support a local artist and learn more about her creative process.
Follow Jenny on Instagram: @jenny.of.all.trades
Jenny is a proud member of the Field neighborhood where she lives with her husband and two toddlers. Her professional work as an Agriculture Outreach Specialist with the National Wildlife Federation centers on the connections between people, conservation, and identity — themes that also shape her art.
How will you know if you’ve won?
We have a master list with everyone’s duck numbers. As the ducks make it to the finish line, we record numbers, start announcing winners and post winning duck numbers and names at the FRNNG booth. Stop by to check how your duck did and pick up a prize if you’re in the top 20!
Discover the Fun of Being a Duck Race Volunteer
Many hands on deck make this event a success and great fun for our community. There are many ways to get involved, from set-up before the event, clean-up after, collecting duckies from the creek, and much more.
Event Highlights:
Sponsor a duck (or a whole flock of them) and cheer them along to win prizes.
Enter the Gray Duck prize raffle
Live music from The Jolly Pops
Free face painting for kids (and adults!) from Artrageous Adventures.
Inflatable obstacle course for kids (free!)
Food trucks: Finer Meats & Eats, Muddy Tiger, Egg Roll Queen, Saint Pops and MinneDonuts.
Meet Minneapolis Firefighters and see a Minneapolis Fire Department Truck.
Fun activities and tables from Minneapolis Animal Care & Control (including adoptable pups!), Minneapolis Parks’ Water Quality, Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling, Friends of Lake Hiawatha, Hennepin County Libraries, International Experience, MPD Mounted Police and more.
We love our creek: every single duck is collected from the creek and saved for future races. We also have bags and gloves for anyone who can help collect trash and recycling along the creek during the event. Pick them up at our table at the start of the race (12th & Minnehaha).
Everyone is welcome, so bring your family and friends and enjoy the outdoors with us! Furry friends on leashes are welcome, too.
Business Sponsorships & Tabling
Showcase your business to thousands of community members by sponsoring the Duck Race! This popular event draws attendance from across the Twin Cities to cheer on thousands of rubber ducks making their way down Minnehaha Creek. Attendance at the event has ranged from 500-1,000 over the last few years.
We offer a range of sponsorship and tabling options for local businesses Nonprofits and government agencies can table for free by emailing frnng@frnng.org.
We have a range of sponsorship options including:
Rubber Ducky Level: $100. Table at the event to directly reach community members! Bring your own table or tables are available for a $20 rental fee.
Gray Duck Level: $250. Table at the event and share business name/link/logo at www.frnng.org/duck-race.
Golden Goose Level: $500. Includes all the benefits in the previous tier plus recognition in the FRNNG Close to Home newsletter (reaches nearly 10,000 residents and businesses) and on FRNNG social media.
