Downtown Minden was abuzz with excitement this past Sunday due to the Greater Minden Chamber’s Sixth Annual Duck Derby. The event featured many ways to stay entertained that afternoon, including activities for kids such as bouncy houses, face painting, games, etc., and activities that were fun for everyone, such as live music, shopping at vendors, a fireworks show, and, of course, the much-anticipated Duck Derby itself.
“The 6th Annual Duck Derby presented by Home Federal Bank concluded as another successful community event in downtown Minden. Despite threatening rain, we were blessed with a nice breeze and cloud cover, creating fantastic weather,” said CEO/President of the Greater Minden Chamber Stephanie Barnette.
The event started off strong with the Children’s Parade, where kids gathered in patriotic or duck-themed attire to march down Main Street. The fun didn’t stop there either. There were a plethora of bouncy houses and water slides, as well as little side competitions such as hula hooping and dance contests to keep the young ones entertained.
Event-goers were also treated to the sight of local elected officials, CEOs, and even Miss Minden seated at a table for a celebrity Food Eating Competition. The contestants included Miss Minden, Maison Wilbanks; Minden Mayor Nick Cox; Police Chief Jared McIver; Deputy Police Chief Tokia Harrison; School Board Vice President Johnnye Kennon; and Minden Medical Center CEO Keith Cox. The task set before the contestants was to see how many slices of pizza they could eat within a five-minute time. At the end of the five minutes, it was clear that the champion for this year’s contest was none other than Tokia Harrison.
The Duck Derby was as intense as ever. Heat after heat of plastic ducks zoomed by eager watchers, all hoping that the duck with their ticket number would be the first to cross the finish line. However, only three ducks out of hundreds would be the winners. The winners of this year’s Duck Derby included first place going to Maddie Robinson, second place to Mimi Jordan, and third place to Terri Pudak.
The presenting sponsor for this year’s Duck Derby was Home Federal Bank. The Quacktastic sponsor was Rhett Edwards, Republican State Central Committee Member 31C. The Pond Sponsors included b1Bank, Bonvenu Bank, Catherine Hunt — Realtor, Fibrebond Corp., Gibsland Bank & Trust, Interstate Building Materials, Mike’s Hometown Spirits, Minden Ace Hardware, Shug’s Minden, and UnderDawgs Sports Grill. The Duckling sponsors included Adam Bass — State Senate District 36, Denise Edwards — Webster Parish Assessor, Geaux Fresh, Minden Athletic, and the Villas at Spanish Court.
“These events are successful thanks to our dedicated behind-the-scenes partners, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters. Multiple departments from the City of Minden, including the police and fire departments, played crucial roles. Our chamber board members and volunteers consistently rise to the occasion. I cannot go without thanking the Youth Challenge Cadets from Camp Minden who helped us so much. They were awesome,” said Barnette.
“Hosting such a large community event requires substantial effort, but witnessing the community unite and enjoy themselves is incredibly rewarding. From the duck races, music, and kids’ activities, to the vendors, contests, and fireworks, we hope everyone had a memorable time and will join us again next year!”