A record-breaking spectacle is coming to Cuyahoga Falls this week.
Billed as the “World’s Largest Rubber Duck” − a giant inflatable will be the centerpiece of the Ohio Rubber Duck Dash Festival in downtown Cuyahoga Falls starting Thursday, April 23, through Saturday, April 25.
Things will start slowly on Thursday morning as crews begin the hours-long process of inflating Mama Duck that stands some six stories high and is 64 feet wide and 74 feet long.
The giant duck made its debut in Los Angeles in 2014 and travels to festivals and special events across the country.
The Cuyahoga Falls festival is organized by high school juniors and seniors from six Greater Akron school districts who are part of the two-year EntrepreNEW business program at based at Woodridge.
The districts include Stow, Tallmadge, Kent, Hudson, Cuyahoga Falls and Woodridge.
“This isn’t just a rubber duck race. It’s a real business built by students,” said Emily Kilgore, entrepreneurship instructor at Woodridge, in a statement. “They handle the marketing, the sponsorships, the logistics, everything.
“At the same time, student artists are transforming Downtown into a living gallery. It’s entrepreneurship and public art colliding in the best possible way.”
The Cuyahoga Falls City Schools All-City Art Walk will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday.
Artwork will be displayed in storefront windows along with displays at he Cuyahoga Valley Art Center, Cuyahoga Falls Library and the Riverfront Pavilion and Plaza.
“When students see their work displayed publicly, especially alongside something as large as the World’s Largest Rubber Duck, it sends a powerful message: your creativity belongs in the community,” said Falls art teacher Jennifer Shulman, in a statement. “This event invites the entire community to come out, experience the art, and be part of something special.”
There will be food trucks and activities planned each day with a race featuring some 10,000 rubber ducks racing along a 50-foot inflatable track on Saturday.
What’s the schedule for the Ohio Rubber Duck Dash Festival?
The downtown festival on Front Street in the Falls starts Thursday and ends on Sunday.
Events are planned for three days over the festival:
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Giant rubber duck lands in Cuyahoga Falls. What to know about festival
Reporting by Craig Webb, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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