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.
​
“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.

DEMING — Its almost that time of year when thousands migrate and flock to Deming. The annual Deming Duck Races are just around the corner and preliminary preparations for the festivities have begun.

The theme of this year races, which marks 37 years of duck celebrations in Deming, will be "Beach Party Duck". The race event will take place on August 25 to Aug. 28 at Courthouse Park, 700 S Silver Ave.

This will be the first year in many years where the races will be conducted without Dave Johnson, the late Secretary and Treasurer who's presence was always an important part of the Duck Races. In his memory, the judges stand will be dedicated as the "Dave Johnson Stand".

"He spent so many years up there and we want to keep him up there," said current Duck Race Treasurer Marie Pinchuck . Pinchuck succeeds the position from Johnson for this year's event.

Johnson will be remembered this year as the Grand Marshal of the Duck Races.

Building the Duck Races has been slow so far due to a website crash that brought down the organization's site and halted online traffic. The new site is currently under construction by designer Daniel Gonzales who will also be designing the logo.

"We bought our ducks, they're being raised, they're ducklings and they're going to be ready to go. They'll be ducks by the time the races get here," laughs Secretary Joanna Costilla. Costilla succeeds Johnson's other position on the Duck Races board as the newly elected secretary.

Racing will begin at 12 p.m. on Saturday, August 27 with other events starting on Thursday, Aug. 25 and lasting until Sunday Aug. 28. Additional events included in this year's races are the annual pageant, carnival, tortilla toss and a car show sponsored by the Desert Classics Car Club.

"Its a huge community event and its been running so long its become a staple of what Deming is," said Costilla. "Its a trademark of Deming, the 'Deming Duck Races'."

Entry to the races is always free however it costs $5 to enter in the races. Races this year will include wet and dry races and separate prize for each category of race.

While the website may take several weeks to be completed, those interested in volunteering or sponsoring are encouraged to send an email to demingduckraces@gmail.com for more information.