The “Canuck It Up Festival” is expected to draw in large crowds to the Town of Amherstburg, with one of the attractions being a giant inflatable rubber duck.
The World’s Largest Rubber Duck is 61.05 feet high, 63.9 feet wide 73.8 feet long and weighs 30,000 pounds when fully inflated.
The yellow duck is on a province wide tour and its official launch at Kings Navy Yard Park is set for Saturday morning. The launch was supposed to be Friday but has been delayed due to the possibility of storms.
Ryan Whaley, the co-owner of the giant yellow attraction, says it takes a lot of work to get the duck ready for the public.
"The duck takes about two days to put the base together which is a large barge because the duck is so tall that it's susceptible to wind” says Whaley. It also takes about three to five hours to inflate the duck.
The provincial government was criticized by opposition parties for spending $200,000 for the duck to make six stops across Ontario. But Amherstburg Manager of Tourism and Culture, Anne Rota, believes it is money well spent.
“That debut in Toronto, once everyone realized all the smiles and how many people it brought to the riverfront and how coffee shops were selling out of coffee, bars and taverns were busy, people loved the duck," adds Whaley.
Local businesses are also singing the duck’s praises, since it is expected to attract between 40,000 and 50,000 people this weekend.
The town has decided to offer free shuttle services. Shuttles will be located at the Honeywell property and the Libro Centre, which will head to General Amherst High School.
The festival is being held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Other attractions include the Tall Ships, a West Coast Lumber Jack show and a Techno dance show called “Rhythm of the Nation.”
