29th Year for the Annual Ducky Wucky River Race

29th Year for the Annual Ducky Wucky River Race

The Rotary Club of Ayer, Harvard, Shirley, and Devens presents the 67th Annual Apple Blossom Festival on May 11th to include the ever-popular Ducky Wucky River Race! Participants who “adopt” yellow rubber duckies have an opportunity to win the most sought-after prize – a dinner for two ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD!

Get Your Own Rubber Ducky

If your adopted rubber ducky is the first to cross the finish line, you win the grand prize – airfare and a two-night stay at a hotel and dinner anywhere you choose! All proceeds go to the charitable causes supported by the Rotary Club of Ayer, Harvard, Shirley, and Devens.

Tickets for rubber duckies can be purchased from any Rotarian or at Union Coffee Roaster or Gervais Ford in Ayer or in Shirley from Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce and The Bull Run Restaurant. The race takes place at the Apple Blossom Festival which is held at the Common in Harvard from 10 am – 3 pm on Saturday, May 11th.

Family Fun for All

A day of family fun activities, the festival features crafts, gifts for Mother’s Day, food and live entertainment, which this year includes:

Matt Rimkus at 10 am, the Nashoba Valley Band at 11 am, John Weisner and Blue Taxi at noon, and Amanda Cote at 1 pm.

Often described as a folksy crooner, Groton’s Matt Rimkus will share some of his favorite old time covers and originals on his 12-string guitar. His booming baritone voice has been a popular draw in coffee houses throughout the area for the past 20 years. You can find Matt on the Reverbnation website.

John Weisner and his Band, Blue Taxi, also hail from Groton MA and play groove jazz, blues, American roots, Latin, and Reggae. Band members include Charlie Peterson on sax; Larry Prestia, percussion; Andy Peterson, bass guitar; and John Wiesner, keyboards, guitar, and vocals.

From Fitchburg, Amanda Cote’s brand of music can best be described as a seamless blend of blues, jazz, rock, soul, R&B, and folk with a little of her own unique sound thrown in thanks to her incredibly strong vocals. Amanda has been making waves in New England, playing solo shows across Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Her mix of folksy Americana originals and covers are soulful, emotional, and sometimes fabulously comical while accompanying herself on guitar.

Karen Strickland, President of Ayer Moving and Storage and Entertainment Chair for this year’s Apple Blossom Festival, stated, “We are so pleased to have been able to secure these top entertainers this year. They are among the most sought-after bands in our area and are guaranteed to get your toes tapping and singing along!”

Learn More

For more information about the Apple Blossom Festival and the Ducky Wucky Race visit the Rotary’s Festival website. Potential vendors can find information about exhibiting here.