Emily Parker said her children did not need much convincing once they heard the words “duck race.”
The Florence mother of two had already been looking for a simple summer outing with her husband and children, something close enough for a day trip but different from another regular beach visit. Then she saw that thousands of rubber ducks would be dropped into the Grand Pond at Market Common in Myrtle Beach for the first-ever Myrtle Duck Festival.
“My kids heard that ducks were going to drop from a helicopter, and that was basically the whole sales pitch,” Parker said to Florence News Journal.
“They asked if we could go before I even finished explaining it.”
The family-friendly festival is scheduled for July 25 at the Grand Pond in the Market Common area. Organizers say the event will feature live music, food trucks, vendors, family activities, a Big Duck Truck Show, a tailgate area and a helicopter duck drop to start the race.
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But the ducks are not just for show.
Duck adoptions are available online for $10, allowing supporters to choose a cause and back one of the participating nonprofit organizations. The festival says half of every duck adoption purchase directly supports the selected nonprofit, while the race results help determine additional prize funding for participating foundations.
For Parker, that changed the meaning of the trip.
“We are not just going to watch something funny happen on the water,” she said. “We are going because the kids can laugh, cheer for a duck and still learn that this is helping real organizations. That matters to me.”
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Several nonprofits are participating in the race, including the Carolina Forest Kiwanis Club, Make-A-Wish South Carolina, Habitat for Humanity of Horry County, SOS Care and the YMCA of Coastal Carolina. The festival is hosted by the Find Me Outside Foundation, a local nonprofit focused on helping children and families connect through outdoor experiences and community programs.
That charity angle also caught the attention of Darrell Coleman, a small Florence-based business owner. Coleman said to Florence News Journal that his business plans to adopt ducks and promote the event to customers, even though the festival is taking place nearly 70 miles away.
“Florence and Myrtle Beach are connected more than people think,” Coleman said. “Our customers go there, our families go there, and a lot of these nonprofits serve people whose needs do not stop at one city line. If a $10 duck can help a child, a family or someone with disabilities, then that is easy to support.”
The event is expected to draw families from across the Grand Strand and beyond. South Carolina ETV describes the festival as an effort to make Myrtle Beach history with one of the largest rubber duck races held in the community, with thousands of ducks dropped from a helicopter into the race course.
Parker said the timing is part of the appeal. Late July can be difficult for parents trying to keep children busy before the school year begins, and the festival offers something that feels organized without being too formal.
“Some events are hard with kids because you are constantly telling them to stand still or be quiet,” she said. “This sounds like the opposite. It sounds loud, colorful and fun, and that is exactly what they need in the middle of summer.”
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Coleman said he hopes the event becomes more than a one-year novelty.
“People remember something unusual,” he said. “They may forget a regular fundraiser, but they are not going to forget thousands of ducks falling into a pond. That is smart, because it gets people smiling first, then it gets them giving.”
For Parker, the plan is already set: drive from Florence, bring snacks, let the children pick a cause and give them a duck to cheer for.
“They will probably think we are going just for the ducks,” she said. “But I hope they come home understanding that even a small thing can help somebody.”
