DEMING - Planning for the Great American Duck Race is in full swing as committee members meet to line up sponsors and volunteers for the Aug. 25-28 event.
Tuesday’s board meeting solidified some of the sponsors as well as established new rules and regulations for some of the favored events of the races. The festival is one of the Deming's major events and draws as many as 10,000 visitors for a weekend of activities.
The races hold various levels of sponsorship that are filled by different companies and individuals to support the events. They are responsible for the needed costs of operations for the races and many companies have elected to sponsor chosen events such as the Tournament of Ducks Parade, which will be backed by PNM. Additional sponsors of the event include Mizkan America, Solitaire Homes, Amigo’s Mexican Food and many others.
“With the passing of Dave Johnson, we did not have a website, we did not have a telephone and there was no access to us,” said Duck Race Treasurer Marie Pinchuk. “Now that we’ve got that operating again, it’s helping a lot.”
One of the biggest sponsors so far is Luna Energy Facility who has donated the $5,000 corporate sponsor level for the event. Sponsorship levels are ranked for both companies and individuals and Luna Energy Facility has been a prevalent sponsor of the event for some time.
Changes will be made to the Great American Washer Tournament as well as the Great American Horseshoe Pitching Tournament. As per request of Tommy Esquivel, the event chairman for the tournaments, players are encouraged to bring their own horseshoes for the event. The amount of shoes able to be provided has dramatically decreased from last year, and players must try to bring their own for this year’s event.
The Great American Washer Tournament will also see changes, as the size of the washers has been changed from 3-inch washers to 2½-inch washers for this year.
For the past 36 years, the Great American Duck Races has brought thousands of people to Deming to celebrate a lasting tradition. Events at the festival include a live water and dry duck races, The Duck Royalty Pageant, the Great American Tortilla Toss as well as the Great American Outhouse Race. Vendors of all types will also be present during the festival selling various goods.

DEMING - What better way to cool off in the summer heat that a trip to the beach? Residents of Deming and tourists from all around will gather in the desert to celebrate the 37th annual Great American Deming Duck Race, Aug. 25-28.

Flowing out of the mind and creativity of Dave Johnson, the late Chief Publicity Quacker of the GADR, the beach party duck theme will be the main focus in the pageants, parades and other aspect of the race weekend.

The GADR Committee will honor Johnson's 30-plus years with the duck races as post-humous grand marshal of the Tournament of Ducks parade. The parade is slated for 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27.
Designed by Daniel Gonzales, the logo features a duck racing to a day at the beach with an inflatable ring, umbrella and sand pail.
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“Dave had a couple of ideas when we had a meeting, and we all kind of agreed on the beach party duck because he really liked that idea,” said Amanda Mauldin-Barnes, vice president of the GADR Committee. And so after he passed, it was just what he wanted,  so for sure that’s what we’re going to do.”

Johnson fell ill in March and passed away at age 62.

This year will feature the same competitive events and will add some new attractions for those who plan to attend. A car show, featuring classic show cars in the area will be open for the public as well a beer and wine garden provided by St. Clair Winery. The garden will be a feature from the past that the duck races has worked to bring back for this year.

“Now that Dave’s not here, we’ve all had to step up and take roles of everything that Dave did,” said Mauldin-Barnes. “I just have bigger shoes to fill.”

The annual Great American Tortilla Toss, Great American Outhouse Races and other community favorites will also be held in the spirit and tradition of racing ducks. Live duck racing is still the main attraction on wet and dry tracks. Cash prizes will he awarded to the top finishers on both tracks.

“It's something the whole community looks forwards to. It’s not just one person putting it on, it’s a community event and everybody supports it,” Mauldin-Barnes said.
For any questions on vendor or other applications, emails can be sent to: demingduckraces@gmail.com.

DEMING - Visitors at this year’s 37th annual Great American Duck Race can expect the same wacky, family-friendly fun as usual, but organizers hope the addition of several new attractions will make the event more enjoyable.
The events will take place from Thursday, Aug. 25 to Sunday, Aug. 28 at locations around the community, with the main attractions centered around the Luna County Courthouse, 700 S. Silver Ave., and its McKinley Duck Downs.

A new attraction that organizers feel will be enjoyed by visitors of all ages is the Desert Classics Car Show, which will take place in the parking lot for the New Mexico Sixth Judicial District Courthouse off Poplar Street. The event is free and open to the public.

“Poplar Street has always been a hub for rides, games and food during the races, but we felt adding a car show would make the area even more entertaining for our guests,” said Marie Pinchuk, one of the event organizers. “We appreciate the Desert Classics Car Club for stepping up to participate.”
Also new around the courthouse will be the re-introduction of the wine and beer garden, which will be provided by St. Clair Winery. It will be located south of the pavilion in Courthouse Park. A portion of the proceeds from sales will go back to the Duck Race Committee to help organize future events.
“We are excited to partner with the committee and bring this feature back to the Duck Races,” said Larry Donigan, general manager of the Deming Winery and Tasting Room. “Our staff are trained in responsible serving, so we expect everyone to have a good time and stay safe.”
For questions about the wine and beer garden, contact him at 575-546-9324 (ext. 13).
On a more somber note, Duck Race organizers plan to honor the memory of longtime committee member and Duck Race icon Dave Johnson by posthumously making him the grand marshal of the Tournament of Ducks Parade. Johnson passed away from a brief illness on March, 26 of this year.
The parade will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27 around downtown Deming. Organizers have also renamed the judging stand to the Dave Johnson Pavilion. Pinchuk said Johnson was involved in the annual event for nearly 30 years, mostly has Chief Publicity Quacker.
The last new announcement from the committee is that the sponsor party will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 26 at the Deming Elk’s Lodge, located at 3401 Raymond Reed Blvd. in Deming Industrial Park.
The Duck Race weekend will still feature many of your favorite events, including the Duck Royalty Pageant, Great American Tortilla Toss, Great American Outhouse Race, the Duck Mart, carnival, live entertainment, hot air balloon mass ascension, slow pitch softball tournaments, Great American Horseshoe and Washers tournaments, First United Methodist Church Barbecue, and of course, live duck racing on wet and dry tracks.
Anyone interested in volunteering to help with the events should contact demingduckrace@gmail.com.