
The theme for this year's duck race is the New Mexico Centennial.
The duck royalty pageant is open to anyone who has ever had the desire to waddle in public.
Judging is based on costume... originality... duck waddle... talent -- which involves a three- to five-minute duck routine... and an interview, which includes general fowl knowledge, poise, the contestants' overall ability to represent the Great American Duck Race, and anything else the judges may "quack up."
The pageant is open to any aged contestant... with five categories: Just Hatched for infants through age one... Little Waddler for ages two to four... Downey Duckling for ages five to eight... Darling Duckling for ages nine to 12... and the Duck Queen or King for those 13 and up.
More than 19-hundred dollars in cash prizes will be awarded to winners and first-runners up... including a thousand-dollar cash prize for the Duck Queen or King.
Winners also receive other prizes, including bicycles and t-shirts. Admission to the event will be five-dollars for adults and three-dollars for children under age 12. The pageant will be held at the Deming Public Schools auditorium beginning Thursday at 6:30 p-m.