Duck Race on the Au

A North German Summer Tradition

Duck races have been popular in many North German villages since the 1990s — a cheerful, harmless, and accessible form of sponsored race. Thousands of identical yellow plastic ducks, each marked with a number, are thrown into a stream or brook upstream at the start and carried downstream by the natural current. Those who bought a duck before the race hope that 'their' duck will be among the first to reach the finish line.

The Scholderuper Au as the Venue

In Taarstedt — a municipality with the villages of Westerakeby, Scholderup, and Taarstedt itself, located about 12 km northeast of Schleswig in the district of Schleswig-Flensburg in the state of Schleswig-Holstein — the Scholderuper Au offers ideal conditions. The stream flows through the hilly landscape of the Angeln nature area, with meadows and small forests on its banks. The start is at the Bromanskjär Au Bridge, and the finish is in the Bürgerpark on the Scholderuper Au.

The FFW as the Organizer

The organizer is the Taarstedt Volunteer Fire Brigade (FFW Taarstedt). As with many public events in Schleswig-Holstein, a volunteer organization is behind this cheerful event: firefighters handle the logistics (setting up ducks, securing the course, catching net at the finish), family members organize refreshments, and the sports club and women's group contribute stalls. The proceeds from the sale of the 'duck tickets' go to the fire brigade.

Festivities on the Bank

While the ducks float downstream, there are festivities with competitions on the bank: games for children, stalls from local clubs, barbecue, drinks, coffee, and cake. Families sit in the Bürgerpark, listen to music, and wait for the first ducks to reach the finish line. A typical North German summer afternoon festival that involves the entire village community and combines fun with a charitable cause.