Much quackery afoot for Waipawa Spring Festival - aka Duck Day

The highlight of the day - the Duck Race - is timed to start at 1.15pm at the Waipawa River.

Head to Waipawa on Saturday for a quacking day out - the annual Waipawa Spring Festival, aka Duck Day.

Peruse the retailers, take part in the duck hunt - find all the baby ducks hidden in the windows in High St, and be in to win a giant blow-up duck. Put your name and number on a piece of paper and drop your guess into Kingfisher Gifts or Tim Chote Appliances, then duck around to Nellie Jull Park and Centrecourt and take a gander at the stalls and entertainment on offer.

Islington Dr will be closed off for the duration of the Spring Festival, allowing stalls and buskers to take over the space, making it a safe area for families to enjoy. The ever-popular Mitre 10 Sponge Throw is back this year, run by the Leo Lions, and the Merry-Go-Round has booked its spot to entertain the smaller family members.

More than 80 stall holders and food trucks will be on site with everything from kebabs to candyfloss, plants to preserves, clothing and crafts.

Bardot Wynn from Tikokino enjoying the merry-go-round at last year’s Duck Day.

“We have the most stalls, food trucks and buskers we’ve ever had,” organiser Mark Drake said.

“There are a lot of very creative people around, making and selling some amazing products and gifts.”

Lulu and Max are running the Make-a-Duck competition. Just bring your entry on the day and join the lineup for judging.

The highlight of the day - the Duck Race - is timed for 1.15pm at the Waipawa River, and this year there are more than 100 individually decorated corporate ducks entered. Best to check the entries out at Centrecourt before they take to the water, as some of them look a bit ... damp ... after the race.

The big race though, is the numbered ducks, with 1900 of the little yellow ducks ready and raring to leap into the torrent and paddle their fastest.

If you haven’t yet bought a ticket, get into a participating Waipawa retailer and snap up your numbered duck. There are prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and last, as well as spot prizes.

Waipawa’s Duck Day is a major fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House Charities, providing accommodation and comfort for families with children in hospital. Last year’s Duck Day raised $10,000 for the cause, and Drake hoped to top that this year.

“There is a lot of support that goes into making Duck Day a success, Higgins helps prepare the river for racing, Downer does traffic control, Green By Nature gets Nellie Jull Park looking great, and we want to thank Veolia, the CHBDC Pride and Vibrancy Fund and the CHB Mail.”

Next year will be a real quacker, as it will be the festival’s 30th anniversary, he said.

Pawa the Duck is ready and waiting to greet her fans at the Waipawa Spring Festival.

Waipawa Spring Festival - aka Duck Day

Saturday, 9am - 2pm

High Street and Islington Drive, Waipawa

The Waipawa Spring Festival - aka Duck Day - is part of Central Hawke’s Bay’s extensive Spring Fling calendar. For more events check out thespringfling.nz