Frequently Asked Questions

Race Logistics

When is it?

June 13, 2010
The Festival starts at 10:00 AM.
The main duck race with 15,000 ducks starts at 1:30 PM.
We will award the prizes immediately after the race.

Where is it?

Vasona Lake Park
333 Blossom Hill Road
Los Gatos, CA 95032
See map

Does it cost anything to attend?

Attending the Silicon Valley Duck Race is free.

Where do people park?

There is plenty of free parking on the adjacent streets to Vasona Park. We will also have several free parking lots reserved at local businesses with a free shuttle to and from Lake Vasona Park.

This year, the park will admit only vehicles with handicapped permits. The county charges $6 to park at Vasona Lake Park. Everyone else should use our free shuttles and park at the designated local businesses.

Are they real ducks?

No, they are special rubber ducks designed for racing.

How does it work?

We will drop 15,000 uniquely numbered rubber ducks into the creek from a big dump truck. They will drift downstream into Vasona Lake where we will capture them in a prize picking net.

What happens to the ducks afterwards?

We catch all the ones we launch and return them to be recycled for future duck races. (Sorry! You don't get to keep the ducks!)

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The Festival

What can I expect at the festival?

It will be a family-friendly fun event with carnival games, arts & crafts, bounce houses, and other fun surprises.

What food will be available?

Hot dogs, vegetarian options, cotton candy, snow cones, cold drinks, and ice cream.

What entertainment will be available?

We will have a DJ for the preliminary races and Scott Budman of NBC11 will be emceeing the main event.

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Duck Purchases

How do they work?

What you get when you sponsor a duck is a chance to win. Each "Sponsor a Duck" paper has a unique number. This is assigned randomly to a duck that is racing. You can race ducks by sending in the envelope portion of the "Sponsor a Duck" paper or by sponsoring online.

Remember that you're buying an entry into the Duck race. You do not get to keep (or even hold) the duck.

Just click here:

Here is some more information about what to do after you click.

Who gets the money?

Proceeds benefit many local charities.

How much money are you planning on raising?

We sold out all the 10,000 ducks in 2008 and all 15,000 in 2009! This year, we again will offer 15,000 ducks.

Can I race more than one duck?

Yes, of course! In fact, we offer a free duck if you sponsor ten (so that's 11 for the price of ten), and three free ducks if you sponsor twenty!

Can I sponsor race ducks and give them as gifts?

Yes. Just purchase as you would for yourself. You can tell your gift recipients the numbers.

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Prizes

How do people win?

When you sponsor/race a duck, you get a number. If the duck with the winning number places in the top 20, you receive the corresponding prize.

What sorts of prizes are there?

Here are the descriptions of all the prizes.

How do people claim their prizes?

We will award most prizes shortly after the race. If you are not present, we will either mail you the prize or make arrangements for you to pick it up at the JFS office in Los Gatos. Prizes not claimed within 30 days will go to the next winner. We will post the winners' names on the web site after the race.

Can someone really win $1 million?

Yes. If you hold the number of the million dollar duck and your duck places in the million dollar spot, you will win $1 million. The award is paid in installments, similar to a lottery ticket. (See full rules when you buy ducks on our E-Quack system.)

Rules & regulations

Click to see the complete rules & regulations.

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