Rubber Duck River Race
Rubber Duck River Race
It's the summer event Denver didn't know it needed—and now can't imagine going without. The Rubber Duck River Race brings hundreds of bright yellow competitors to the South Platte River at the National Western Center for a morning of friendly competition, community celebration, and pure, unfiltered fun.
Adopt Your Duck
Before the race begins, you can adopt a rubber duck and give it a name, a number, and your loudest cheering voice. When race time comes, head down to the Riverfront Open Space and watch the whole flock launch downstream as hundreds of bright yellow ducks jostle for position on the South Platte. Winners take home prizes—and, more importantly, bragging rights. The race is one of those rare events that manages to be equally exciting whether you're five years old or fifty.
Racing for a Cause
Spectating is always free, and a portion of proceeds from duck adoptions supports the Globeville, Elyria, and Swansea (GES) Community Investment Fund. The GES neighborhoods sit right next to the National Western Center campus and are among Denver's most historically underserved communities. The fund directs resources back into those neighborhoods through grants for education, workforce development, health initiatives, cultural programming, and small business support—making every duck you cheer for a small act of community investment.
A Full Day on Campus
The fun doesn't stop at the riverbank. Hosted in partnership with the National Western Center and CSU Spur's Second Saturdays, the full Market at the Center experience runs simultaneously on the Main Campus Plaza. Expect food trucks, live entertainment, local artisan vendors, wellness brands, and community organizations spread across one of Denver's most dynamic outdoor spaces. CSU Spur's buildings are open too, with interactive educational programming centered on water, science, and the environment—perfect for curious kids and adults alike.
About Market at the Center
Market at the Center is a free monthly marketplace running every second Saturday from May through September at the National Western Center. Each month features a different theme, a fresh mix of vendors, live music, and a full afternoon of family-friendly programming—co-presented with CSU Spur's Second Saturdays initiative.
Come for the ducks. Stay for the community. Free and open to all.