Downtown Naugatuck going to the ducks

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The Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Duck Day and Race will be held Sunday. –FILE PHOTO
The Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Duck Day and Race will be held Sunday. –FILE PHOTO

NAUGATUCK — The ducks will return to Naugatuck on Sunday to entertain as well as haunt festival goers.

The 8th annual Duck Day and Race will take place starting at 11 a.m. in downtown Naugatuck.

The festival will feature a dunk tank, a costume contest, live music, and a brand new haunted house, said Courtney Ligi, of the Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce.

Ligi said the theme for the haunted house is that there was a family living under the Whittemore Bridge that the ducks accidentally killed and they have come back to haunt the festival.

“We’re looking forward to new event,” Ligi said.

The Duck Day will also feature a car show this year. The Brass City Cruisers will host the show along Old Firehouse Road with 50 to 100 cars participating, Ligi said.

Ligi said that the event will feature a contest for best costume again this year, with a $2,000 grand prize.

The duck race will kick off at 2 p.m. Raffle tickets for the race can be bought for $5 at the Naugatuck Chamber of Commerce or at the event from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Top prize in the duck race is $5,000.

The chamber hosts the annual event, which not only provides a festive day but raises money for local non-profit organizations. Local organizations sell tickets for the duck race and receive half of the money.

“Duck Day is not only a fun and enjoyable day that assists in supporting our downtown businesses and Chamber of Commerce, it’s also an event that, through ticket sales, raises money for the non-profit community,” Naugatuck Mayor Robert Mezzo said.

While the upcoming Duck Day is generating excitement, Mezzo is also looking to the borough’s future and doesn’t see why Naugatuck couldn’t always feel this festive and upbeat.

“I think you combine family friendly entertainment with the beauty of the Naugatuck River in the setting of one of the nicest downtowns in the area. The challenge is to translate the great one day events that we host sporadically throughout the year into a sustained vibrant atmosphere in downtown Naugatuck,” Mezzo said.

The annual Duck Day has steadily grown over the years. Ligi feels the growing popularity of Duck Day is due to the event being able to offer something for everyone.

“It’s the largest event in the area,” Ligi said. “The greatest thing about Duck Day is it’s completely free to enter. There are lots of street performers and things to entertain children and adults.”

For more information on Duck Day, visit www.duckday.org.