Low Water Forces Aspen Ducky Derby Grounded at Rio Grande Park

Aspen —Twenty thousand rubber ducks. That’s the number dumped onto the ground at Rio Grande Park on Saturday, Aug. 1, for Aspen’s annual Ducky Derby.

In a normal year, those 20,000 birds would have raced down the Roaring Fork River. The winner takes home a significant cash prize, determined by a raffle-style number attached to each duck. It’s the organization’s most important and most popular fundraiser.

This year, the river won’t be racing. Water levels are too low to support the traditional race format. So, organizers nixed the current and replaced it with chaos.

Instead of floating, the ducks were grounded. Kids competed in foot races and relays to determine which duck won. The activities included bag races, hula hooping, and throwing a rubber duck at a target. It was creative. It was also necessary.

The Aspen Times reported on the event, noting that while the river race didn’t happen, the other normal festivities did occur. Food vendors were present. Games for children filled the park. The atmosphere remained festive, even if the hydrology didn’t cooperate.

Let’s do the math on what this means for the community and the association. They still have 20,000 ducks to sell or distribute. The raffle numbers are still valid. The cash prize is still on the line, even if the method of determining the winner has shifted from fluid dynamics to physical exertion.

On paper, this is a minor adjustment. In practice, it’s a logistical pivot that requires more active participation from the local youth demographic. If you bought a duck with number 4,302, your chances of winning didn’t disappear. They just got a workout.

The event took place at Rio Grande Park, the central hub for Aspen’s outdoor community gatherings. Austin Colbert of The Aspen Times captured images of the scene, showing kids collecting ducks into bags during relay races and placing them in targets. The visual evidence confirms that the park was full, despite the lack of a flowing river to carry the fleet.

For locals, this matters because the Ducky Derby is more than a photo op. It’s a revenue driver for local initiatives funded by the group. The club relies on this single day to fund projects throughout the year. If water levels remain low, future Derby events may need to adapt permanently. Or they might just accept that ground-based races are the new normal in a drying climate.

The Aspen organization didn’t cancel. They adapted. They kept the vendors. They kept the games. They kept the 20,000 ducks.

The bottom line is simple: The event happened. The ducks were counted. The winners will be chosen by who can run, hop, and throw the best, not just who bought the fastest ticket. Neighbors in Aspen got their community event back, even if the river was too shy to join the party.