Great Duck Derby

Every summer, the Lions Club of Sidmouth stages a Great Duck Derby on the River Sid and this event usually takes place on the third Sunday in July.

In 2018 it will be on Sunday 15th July


The events will start around 2.00pm, by Sid Park Road bridge in the Byes, with the children's ( and parent's ) 'Duck & Spoon' races.

These are followed at 2.45pm by the start of the Corporate Duck Race with little red ducks.

The main Duck Race starts at 3.00pm when hundreds of yellow plastic ducks enter the River Sid from the Sid Park Road bridge and "race" downstream, jostling to be the leader.

The first yellow duck to reach the 'finishing line' at the weir by Waterloo Bridge, Salcombe Road, earns its owner the winner's prize.

Last year the 1st prize was £400, the 2nd prize was £100, 3rd prize was £75 and there were six £40 and ten £20 "swimmer-up" prizes.  Each year, the values of the prizes for the yellow duck Race 'winners' , are printed on the Race tickets .


The ‘yellow duck' tickets cost £1 each and are available from members of the Sidmouth Lions Club who, with the consent of the owners, will be selling the duck tickets in hotels and pubs around the town.  During the first half of July, yellow Duck tickets will be on sale at 'Paper Moon' in Fore Street and outside the Co-op store in Sidmouth High Street from 10am to 5pm from Tuesday to Friday during the week before Duck Race Sunday .   Sidmouth Lions will also be visiting most local businesses in and around Sid Valley, with tickets for the Corporate (red) Duck Race.


If you can't catch a Lion beforehand, you can buy your yellow duck tickets on Duck Derby Sunday, from the Sidmouth Lions' gazebos near the race start and finish points.


All of  the Lions Great Duck Derby net proceeds are for charity and the charities benefiting from each year's yellow  Duck race are printed on the duck tickets. See also Sidmouth Lions 'Privacy Notice' via link at foot of this page.