Forget everything you thought you knew about duck races. This Saturday morning, 5,000 sunglasses-wearing rubber ducks will invade Buffalo Bayou in downtown Houston, and you can own a piece of the action for just five bucks.
AFA’s Bayou City Duck Race returns to Allen’s Landing Park on November 8, bringing chaos, competition, and some seriously good prizes to Houston’s historic waterway. Think of it as the Kentucky Derby meets bath time, but all the money goes to help young musicians across the city instead of filling someone’s pockets.
Your Duck Could Win Big
Here’s how it works: adopt a duck for $5, show up Saturday morning, and watch thousands of yellow rubber ducks tumble into Buffalo Bayou at 10:45am. The first ten ducks to cross the finish line score the top prizes, but even if your duck finishes in the middle of the pack, random drawings throughout the morning could still make you a winner.
The prize lineup reads like a Houston bucket list. The grand prize winner takes home $2,500 cash. Other top prizes include Texans game tickets, a full year of Raising Cane’s chicken fingers, performing arts tickets, Niko Niko’s gift cards, pet care essentials, and restaurant gift cards to other Houston spots. You don’t even need to be there to win, though you’d be crazy to miss this.
Watch Music Students Perform While Ducks Race
Before the big splash, students from Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and AFA’s own Chamber Music Academy will perform live. These aren’t your average school concerts—these kids are serious musicians who’ve spent countless hours perfecting their craft. Watching them play while rubber ducks bob in the background creates a uniquely Houston kind of morning.
The emcee, KHOU-TV’s Len Cannon, will keep the energy high from the first note through the final duck crossing the finish line. Sponsor booths line the park, offering interactive activities for kids who get antsy waiting for the race to start.
Where Your Money Actually Goes
Every dollar from duck adoptions flows straight into AFA’s Play It Forward Fund. This isn’t some vague charity promise—it’s direct support for young musicians who couldn’t otherwise afford music education. AFA serves over 2,000 young musicians each season, offers more than 40,000 hours of classroom instruction, and presents nearly 50 free performances throughout greater Houston.
The fund provides tuition assistance, access to instruments, and free or low-cost programming to area schools. For many kids, AFA represents their only shot at serious music education. Your $5 duck adoption could be the difference between a student discovering their musical talent or never getting the chance.
Houston History Meets Modern Fun
Allen’s Landing marks the spot where Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen stepped ashore and founded Houston in 1836. Now it hosts one of the city’s most beloved charity events each fall. The juxtaposition of Houston’s founding site with 5,000 racing rubber ducks somehow makes perfect sense in this city.
After the race, all ducks get scooped out of the water, rinsed off, and sent to the next duck derby location. These are professional racing ducks with frequent flyer miles.
Get Your Duck in the Race
You can adopt ducks online now at www.duckrace.com/afa or buy them in person Saturday morning before the race. Want better odds? The pricing packages make it easy to go big:
- Duckling – 1 duck for $5
- Quack Pack – 6 ducks for $25
- Flock of Ducks – 24 ducks for $100
- Flipper Club – 60 ducks for $250
- Ducktet – 120 ducks for $500
- Quackophony – 240 ducks for $1,000
More ducks mean more chances to win. The goal is 5,000 ducks adopted, and they’re already at 927. Get yours before they’re gone.
The Duck Drop happens at 10:45am sharp, so arrive early to stake out a good viewing spot along the bayou. Parking fills up fast in downtown Houston on Saturday mornings, so give yourself extra time or grab an Uber.
Plan Your Visit
AFA’s Bayou City Duck Race
Allen’s Landing Park 1001 Commerce Street Houston, TX 77002
Saturday, November 8, 2025 Event: 10:00am-12:00pm Duck Drop: 10:45am
Free to attend. Adopt ducks at www.duckrace.com/afa or in person the morning of the event.
For more information about AFA’s music programs, visit afatexas.org or call (713) 522-9699.
