Downtown Duck Drop returns with hundreds in prizes
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WNKY) — The third annual Downtown Duck Drop returns Monday, Nov. 23, with a quirky Thanksgiving fundraiser that supports free events in downtown Bowling Green.
The event starts at noon at The Fringe, next to Stadium Park Plaza. Rubber ducks cost $10 each, and only 300 are available.
A nod to a classic Thanksgiving TV spoof
The Downtown Duck Drop was inspired by the famous Thanksgiving episode of “WKRP in Cincinnati.” The episode spoofed a real-life turkey giveaway that went wrong.
Bowling Green’s version uses rubber ducks instead of live turkeys.
Organizers fill a large bucket with the ducks, take them up in a bucket truck and drop them toward a small target on the ground. The duck that lands closest to the target wins.
Hundreds of dollars in prizes
The winner will receive a downtown prize package worth hundreds of dollars.
The package includes a $100 Houchens Food Group gift card to help with a Thanksgiving meal, plus gift cards from Atomic Kitchen and Mellow Mushroom. It also includes a prize from Melodies & Memories, a Down Dog BG T-shirt and two tickets to the sold-out Feast of the Four Houses.
The immersive dining experience is set for Jan. 8, 2027, at The Venue at 939 Adams Street. The two tickets are valued at $135.
More downtown businesses are still adding prizes.
Telia Butler, downtown development coordinator for the City of Bowling Green, said part of the fun is giving people a chance to discover places they may not have visited before.
“And there is always something new to discover, and part of the fun in winning this big downtown prize every year is you will definitely find a place that you didn’t know existed, or one that you may have known about, but hadn’t gotten to yet, or maybe forgotten about,” Butler said.
Proceeds support downtown events
Money raised through the Duck Drop supports events including Duncan Hines Days, Harvest Festival and Downtown Lights Up.
“So it’s like, you’re giving $10 to a fundraiser that then brings all of these free community events to life throughout the whole season,” Butler said.
Participants may buy up to 10 ducks. The deadline to enter is Sunday, Nov. 22, and the winner does not have to be present.
People can watch the drop in person at The Fringe at noon Nov. 23. It will also be streamed live on the City of Bowling Green’s Facebook page and Downtown Bowling Green’s Instagram account.
Tickets are available through Eventbrite.
