​Deming, NM - The Great American Duck Race is celebrating its 43rd Anniversary this year including the Southwest Pediatric & Family Care Duck Royalty Pageant. Join the fun and enter if you or anyone you know have the desire to waddle in public! Don’t forget to incorporate the theme of Local Hero – racing to save the day and try to win Duck Queen or King and take home $500 cash plus many more prizes!
 
Age Divisions are: Just Hatched, 0-12 months; Lil Waddlers, 2-4; Downey Ducklings, 5-8; Darling Ducklings, 9-12;Queen and/or King, 13 and up
 
The basis for judging will be:
• Costume – Looking for originality and duck waddle
• Talent – Create a 2- to 4-minute duck routine to impress the judges.
• Interview (for King/Queen only) – General fowl knowledge, Poise and overall ability to represent the Great American Duck Race of Deming and anything the judges may “Quack” up.
 
To register, please visit the official duck race website signup by clicking here and fill out the entry form before August 21, 2022. 
 
The 43rd Annual Great American Duck Races kicks off Thursday, August 25th with the Southwest Pediatric & Family Care Duck Royalty Pageant at the Deming Public Schools Auditorium and wraps up Sunday, August 26th with the final duck races being held around 3 p.m. at the Luna County Courthouse Park.   
 
For a full schedule and details in the near future, visit www.demingduckrace.com.

Deming, NM – The annual, fun-loving  Great American Duck Race is celebrating its 43rd Anniversary this year and it’s going to be the best one yet! Brought to you by Columbus Electric Co-Op, the Tournament of Ducks Parade will delight folks of all ages with a “racing to save the day” theme. Join the fun and enter your float, car, truck, bike or tractor to glide through downtown Deming, NM. Remember to include the theme , “Local Hero” to enter to win cash prizes. 
 
The Duck Race Committee is proud to announce Brett Jenkins, Vice President of Production at Solitaire, and Silas Wilson of the City of Deming Parks Department will be this year’s Grand Marshalls for the annual parade. Like a true hero, Mr. Jenkins and Mr. Wilson have been going above and beyond supporting the youth of our community in their off time for decades and we couldn’t be more grateful. As Spider Man would say, “"Remember, with great power comes great responsibility"; we sure appreciate your efforts gentlemen. 
 
The committee is inviting all area businesses, as well as non-profits and local citizens to participate. The Columbus Electric Co-Op Tournament of Ducks Parade is scheduled for Saturday, August 27, 2022 beginning at 10 am.
 
To register, please visit the official duck race website by clicking here to download the form and fill out the entry form then stop by the Deming-Luna County Chamber of Commerce and Deming Main Street Program at 800 E. Pine Street. 
 
For a full schedule and details, visit demingduckrace.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
May 13, 2021
Contact: Joanna Costilla 
(575) 543-8530
demingduckrace@gmail.com  

Fellow Quackers,
 
The Duck Races have been the trademark of Deming for over four decades and draw huge crowds from all over New Mexico and our neighboring states for a weekend of fun, food, and fast ducks.
 
It is with heavy hearts that we are announcing the cancellation of the 2021 Great American Duck Races. As there are still so many uncertain restrictions of mass gatherings, we reached the conclusion that we must cancel this year’s races to keep our community and region safe. The decision is a difficult one and is made with all of you, your safety, and your health – in mind.
 
We look forward to continue bringing this trademark event to our community, region, and state when it is safe to do so. The 2022 races are planned to be held August 25-28, 2022!
 
We are as heartbroken as you are but look forward to having an even better event in 2022! We would like to thank you for your continued support of our event and allowing us to continue this tradition for 40 years!
 
Sincerely,
Joanna Costilla, Chief Quacker
Great American Duck Race Committee

​The Great American Duck Race is right around the corner and this year we are “Puttin’ on the Ritz - Flapping to Victory” for the 2020 theme and the official logo is kicked off with excitement and glam!
 
This year’s logo winner was the work of Jerran Duty.  This year’s logo features a 20’s duck in an old style car with the feathers in the smoke being left behind. Second place was taken by Keisha Dominguez with a logo that will be used at various events over the weekend.
 
The theme and logo will be seen throughout this year’s festivities, and will be used for the theme for judging the Duck Royalty Pageant and the Tournament of Ducks Parade that take place during the weekend’s events.
 
The 41st Annual Great American Duck Race will be held August 20th – 23rd, 2020 at Courthouse Park in Deming, NM.
 
Additional information and details on vendors, activities and events, will be released soon via our website:  www.demingduckrace.com. If you have any specific questions please call the Deming Visitor Center at 575-546-2674.

Each of the winners of the Great American Duck Race won $1,420 for the 2019 Duck Races!

Dry Track - Lucia Cervantes (pictured on the left) from El Paso, TX
Wet Track - Nicole Jasso (pictured on the right) from Deming, NM

“Racing through the Stars” is already racing through the internet space as the 2019 theme and official logo is kicked off with excitement and collaboration with many events that share the “space” theme in 2019.
 
This year’s theme was the work of Jerran Duty.  This year’s logo features a space duck blasting through the galaxy and racing through the stars.
 
The theme and logo will be seen throughout this year’s festivities, and will be used for the theme for judging the Duck Royalty Pageant and the Tournament of Ducks Parade that take place during the weekend’s events.
 
The 40th Annual Great American Duck Race will be held August 22nd -25th, 2019 at Courthouse Park in Deming, NM.
 
For more information on vendors, activities and events, please go our website:  www.demingduckrace.com or contact the Deming Visitor Center  575-567-1962.

DEMING – Fans of the Great American Duck Race will get a brief history lesson when they don their commemorative T-shirts for the 38th annual edition of Deming’s claim to fame.

“Racing the Rails” is the theme of this year’s race and the design for this year’s highly-collectible T-shirts.

“The design is based on the history of Deming,” said Karl Bennett of Karl’s Embroidery and Screen Printing at 420 E. Spruce St. “Deming was built in parallel to the railroad coming through.”

The GADR Committee worked extensively on coming up with this year’s logo and theme, keeping in mind that the town was built along the railroad route that joined the east to the west.
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In March of 1881, a silver spike was driven to commemorate the union of the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific railroads that completed the second transcontinental railroad, linking the east to the west.

Once the concept of the theme came to Bennett’s business his crew began work on the design and the finished work was approved by the Committee.

“We have done so many different themes that it will at some point come full circle,” Bennett said.

A social media survey was circulated on what duck race fans wanted in terms of the color of shirts the logo would be printed on. The final tally called for charcoal, blue, pink and purple.

“The shirts should be ready by the end of next week and we will sell them here,” Bennett said.

The shirts will sell for $15 in any of the four colors and sizes will range from youth x-small to adult 3xl.
This year Bennett has added the popular razorback tank tops for women in all four colors. They will sell for $15 also.

“It’s always a challenge, but we will meet it,” Bennett said. “We plan to print in the neighborhood of 800 shirts. It’s a little down this year, but the committee would rather sell out instead of carry over into next year.”

A special batch of shirts will be printed for three different entities of the 38th annual duck race. “We went with a denim blue for the sponsors, a charcoal for the staff and the hot-air balloons will get a lime green,” said committee member Kristy Garay.

The Great American Duck Race is scheduled for August 24-27. The events will open on Thursday, Aug. 24, with the Mizkan Duck Royalty Pageant at 6:30 p.m. at the Voiers’ Park amphitheater. A king of queen will be crowned to reign over duck race weekend.

On Friday, Aug. 25, The Mizkan Sponsor Party will begin at 4 p.m. at the Deming Elks Lodge, 3401 Raymond Reed Blvd.

Saturday, Aug. 26 will feature a full slate of activities for duck race fans. The day will include horseshoe pitching, slow-pitch softball, live entertainment, the Solitaire Homes Hot-Air Balloon mass ascension (weather permitting), Desert Classic Car Show, carnival and the ever-popular Duck Mart (vendors).

The PNM Tournament of Ducks parade will begin at 10 a.m. followed by the first day of live duck racing on wet and dry tracks. Race a duck for $5 and have a shot at making it to Sunday’s finals and a shot at the prize money purse. The racing begins at noon.

Also on Saturday, fans can expect the Amigo’s Great American Tortilla Toss and the Great American Outhouse Race sprinkled around the St. Clair Beer and Wine Garden, the First Financial Credit Union and the First United Methodist Church Barbecue.

Sunday’s highlights will be begin with more hot-air balloons, slow-pitch softball, a washers tournament and the highly-anticipated duck race finals on wet and dry track.
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Bill Armendariz can be reached at 575-546-2611 (ext. 2606) or biarmendariz@demingheadlight.com.