Despite a pop-up thunderstorm that temporarily halted activities, the 7th Annual Duck Derby Extravaganza held Thursday, July 3, in downtown Minden carried on with strong community spirit and plenty of smiles.
The event, presented by The Mosaic Company, began under partly-cloudy skies as crowds filled the streets for an evening of festivities. The Lil’ Quaker Children’s Parade delighted onlookers, and the Celebrity Spaghetti Eating Competition drew laughs as Minden Lions Club Man of the Year Tracy Campbell handily claimed the title with time to spare.
Just before the highly anticipated duck race was set to begin, a thunderstorm moved in, sending festival-goers into the Minden Civic Center for shelter. Thanks to the quick response from the Mayor Nick Cox, the crowd was able to stay safe inside while waiting out the storm.
Around 7:45 PM, with the rain easing, organizers announced the festival would continue as planned. Once the duck races were completed, kids had a blast at the foam party. The evening concluded with a fireworks display, as the crew had taken extra precautions to shield the fireworks setup from the rain.
The winners of the 2025 Duck Derby were:
- 1st Place: Duck #699 – Tatum Blackwelder
- 2nd Place: Duck #1127 – Olivia Harris
- 3rd Place: Duck #1220 – Amber Montgomery
“While it wasn’t quite the night we envisioned, we are so thankful for everyone who stuck with us through the weather,” the Greater Minden Chamber shared on social media. “Thank you to our sponsors, vendors, downtown businesses, and everyone who helped make this event possible.”
The Chamber looks forward to welcoming the community back for the 2026 Duck Derby — hopefully under drier skies.
