World’s Largest Rubber Duck Returning To Minnesota

Everywhere she makes an appearance, she draws a crowd, and for good reason. The world’s largest rubber duck, affectionately known as Mama Duck, is a massive, lovable bird that turns heads wherever she floats.

Standing six stories tall, she’s hard to miss, and whether you're five or fifty, it’s almost impossible not to smile when you see her.

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Mama Duck Joins Tall Ships Festival in Duluth

Mama Duck will float into Minnesota for the Tall Ships Duluth Festival of Sail from July 10th through July 13th. The event will also include tours of the historic tall ships and a first-of-its-kind competitive diving event hosted in partnership with USA Diving.

But if Mama Duck's previous visit to Duluth is any indication, expect visitors to line up for more photos with her than with any of the tall ships docked along Duluth's new seawall.

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A Duluth Native Behind the Big Duck

The world’s largest rubber duck is actually the brainchild of Duluth native Craig Samborski. He came up with the idea back in 2014 after he was challenged by a Tall Ships Festival in Los Angeles “to go big.”

And that’s exactly what he did. He spent $50,000 on the first duck and has been traveling across the United States with it ever since. Turns out, not a bird-brained idea after all.

Samborski says, “Tall Ships Duluth is such a fun, iconic event, and it is a perfect fit for the big duck. We’ve made so many friends there during prior visits, it will be sort of a homecoming.”