On the afternoon of Sunday, June 8, City of Hobart held its 15th annual Dam Duck Race and Dam Duck Tape and Cardboard Race at Festival Park near downtown Hobart. These two events were the highlights of the last day of City of Hobart's 34th annual Lakefront Festival. This year’s festival, which spanned three days, also featured live music, a beer garden, dozens of vendor stalls and food trucks, and even multiple inflatable bounce houses.
According to Mayor of Hobart, Josh Huddlestun, he and his team decided to hold Lakefront Fest at the beginning of the summer instead of the end for the first time last year. This change was very well-received, and Huddlestun expects this year’s Lakefront Fest to be even more successful than its predecessor.
“This is such a great way to kick off the summer,” Huddlestun said. “It brings a lot of people together. It’s amazing to see so many people enjoying themselves. I’ve talked to some of the folks here today and they’re having a great time. Our administration has been committed to establishing a sense of place in the community. Lakefront Fest absolutely does that for Hobart. I hope everyone goes home knowing that they live in a great community and feeling happy to be a part of it.”
For an entry fee of $5, Dam Duck Race participants could purchase a rubber duck to enter the race. Hundreds of rubber ducks were dropped off of Lake George’s Deep River Dam into a chute that had been set up on Deep River. The participant whose duck was the first duck to reach the end of the shoot would be declared the winner.
The funds raised by this event went on to support the City of Hobart Parks Department and the Hobart Humane Society. Volunteers from Hobart High School’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program helped guide the ducks to the end of the chute.
“These events have been Hobart traditions for years now,” Huddlestun said. “Our department heads have had a lot of fun planning them. We’ve re-energized the Dam Duck Race and the Dam Duck Tape and Cardboard Race over the past two years. The community looks forward to seeing them and it’s great to see how excited people get. The parks department does a great job of putting this event together and our other departments pitch in too. Kudos to all of them. We’re happy that we can bring these events to the community.”
For the Dam Duck Tape and Cardboard Boat Race, teams of at least two people construct their own lake-faring vessels out of nothing but duck tape and cardboard. Fifteen teams joined in the competition this year, including a team representing youth softball players and one representing a local Cub Scout troop. Many of the teams represented some of City of Hobart’s departments. Huddlestun and his son represented the mayor’s office, while the parks and recreation, engineering, police, and fire department sent teams out on the lake as well.
The contestants from the Hobart Fire Department Dive Team went home with the Municipal Race Champion trophy, which was fittingly constructed out of cardboard and duck tape. The City of Hobart Public Works team won the “Most Creative Boat” for their “Pirates of the Caribbean” -inspired boat and costumes. The ACE Hardware team won the “Titanic Award” for the most spectacular capsizing.
Father-and-son team Joe Stefaniak and Anthony Stefaniak, dressed as Batman and Robin respectively, decorated their boat to look like the Batboat featured in the 1966 film “Batman.” They won this year’s first-place medal, making this their second consecutive win.
Joe Stefaniak says that, as soon as he saw the Dam Duck Tape and Cardboard Boat Race for the first time, he knew he had to participate.
“This event promotes a sense of community among Hobart residents,” Joe Stefaniak said. “It’s my favorite part about participating in the Dam Duck Tape and Cardboard Boat Race. I like how everybody gets together and comes out to have a great time. I hope everyone had a good time at the Lakefront Festival today.”
Please visit cityofhobart.org to stay up-to-date on City of Hobart’s upcoming events and announcements.
