Chicago Ducky Derby
Chicago, IL · Quirky
- When
- August 5, 2027
- Where
- Pioneer Court, 401 N Michigan Ave · Chicago · IL
- Cost
- Not confirmed
- Status
- Approximate: based on past editions, not announced yet
Tens of thousands of numbered rubber ducks are dumped off the Columbus Drive Bridge into the Chicago River each summer to raise money for Special Olympics Illinois. The festival itself is held at Pioneer Court along Michigan Avenue. It has run since 2005 and the 2026 edition released more than eighty five thousand ducks.
The history within reach
Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, a trader of African and French descent, established the permanent settlement at the river's mouth around 1780.
- Battle of Fort Dearborn0.1 mi
Potawatomi forces attacked the evacuating garrison on August 15, 1812, killing more than fifty soldiers and settlers.
The deep-dish form was developed at Pizzeria Uno in 1943, the starting point of the city's signature dish..
- Marina City0.2 mi
Bertrand Goldberg's twin corncob towers, completed 1964 as a 'city within a city' on the river's north bank..
The Chicago International Film Festival screens more than 150 films from around the world over twelve days each October, centered at AMC River East 21.