It’s a new day for ducks in Eden

By Miranda Baines

Published: October 11, 2008

Rubber ducks and pirates were on the loose Saturday in Eden. The occasion was the Eden Chamber of Commerce’s 5th annual Rubber Duck Regatta, and the place was the Barnett Canal at the Spray Mercantile Building.

Terri Faunce of Terri’s Catering and Bakery embraced both themes of the event. She dressed in full-fledged “Shiver Me Timbers!“ pirate attire and baked pirate rubber duck cookies for the occasion.

“This year, we’re really gearing it toward the kids,“ said Matt Smith, chairman of the Chamber of Commerce.

Steven Dallas, 8, and Ben Jones, 7, had fun playing “pirates” down by the canal.

“The kids love it,“ said Jones’ mother Dawn. She said the pirate theme of the regatta was “really cute” and she knew the boys liked it. They got their eye patches, gold earrings, hats and other pirate gear at the front table at the regatta.

The adults got just as excited as the children as hundreds of rubber ducks raced down the canal. They were hoping they held the ticket of the winning duck.

The “duck herders” waited patiently until the rubber ducks passed under the canal (some of the ducks bumped their noggins on the canal because the water level was so high). Then they worked fast to collect the first 50 ducks before they continued making their way down the canal.

Three Rivers Outfitters staff launched the first 50 ducks down the canal in a championship race. The first duck to make its way down the canal belonged to Abby Odell, who won a $250 gas card. The second-place duck belonged to David Dallas, who won a $100 Wal-Mart gift card. The third-place duck belonged to Arlene Roberts, who won a $50 gift card for Tractor Supply. And the lame duck, the one that waddled in last, belonged to Brenda Moore, who won a $100 cash prize.

Rubber Duck Regatta didn’t draw a large crowd, but those who came to the event enjoyed mild, breezy weather.

“We wish the turnout would’ve been better, but overall, I think everybody had a good time,“ said Smith. He said he knew the regatta was competing with several other events in the county Saturday, including First Presbyterian Church of Eden’s October Fest and the Reidsville Downtown Fall Festival.

Regatta coordinators moved the event from August to October because of last year’s 100-degree heat and regatta attendees appreciated the change in the weather. Smith said last year was “miserable weather” for the regatta.

“It’s a beautiful, cool day. It’s a nice day to spend outside,“ said Barbara Bishopric McNinch. “Generally in August it’s hot.“

While Bishopric McNinch’s husband Jerry McNinch hand-cranked his John Deere hit and miss engine to make orange pineapple sherbet, she retrieved ducks from the canal at the end of the race. Last year, McNinch said he sold out of ice cream quickly because of the heat. This year he had trouble getting his five-gallon ice cream freezer to work.

“We’ve been here multiple years and every other year, the freezer has worked,“ said Bishopric McNinch.

Omar Mills, 9, and Marqe Mills, 10, tried their hands at cranking the freezer while their grandfather Glenn Denny, of G&D Recording, played the role of the DJ at the regatta. Denny said he prefers having the regatta in October, but the turnout was better at last year’s August event.

“This year is a transition year. We’re going to have to look at every event and see how it goes,“ said Smith. The Chamber had to move Temptations in the Garden to October this year because of bad weather in September. The event is set for the evening of Oct. 24 at the Spray mercantile courtyard. Smith said the Chamber is considering moving Temptations to May, instead of having two major events back-to-back. He expects a good turnout for this year’s Temptations, a “celebration of food, wine, music and art.“

• Staff writer Miranda Baines can be reached at or 349-4331, ext. 35.