Among the well-loved events that were restored in 2021 were the duck race, the Firemen’s Chicken Dinner, Light Up the Lake and — of course — spectacular fireworks.

The duck race took place at 12:30 p.m. and drew a large crowd to the gazebo and water wheel area. Nancy Sonney, owner of Secret Cubby, who coordinated the event, said about 1,200 ducks were purchased, 99% of which were pre-sold before the day of the race.

Participants in the race purchased a numbered duck, which is then registered to them. Normally, the ducks are then dumped into the spillway on the side of the lake and must make their way through the pipe under Route 426 into the constructed finish area.

However, this year, due to extremely low water levels, the ducks were dumped down a manhole on the lake side of Route 426, into which water had been pumped. “We did not want to take water from the lake,” Sonney explained, “so, Jack (Findley Lake Fire Chief Jack Hamilton) provided a water tank truck to push the ducks through the tube.”

Findley Lake is illuminated by flares on Sunday. Photo by David Prenatt

Nonetheless, the spirit of excitement was high as people thronged the bridge, platform, roadway and even the rocks to see which duck would arrive first.

Leslie Owens and her daughter Talia were attending the duck races for their third time. “This is a wonderful event. We look forward to it every year,” Leslie said. “It’s so good to see the community out together.”

Robin and Patrick Neorr and their daughter, Ciara, were also back for their third year of duck racing. “It’s just wonderful to see all the people,” Robin said. Ciara added “I like to see the ducks go past. I have seen all different colors of ducks.”

The prizes were certainly worth all the excitement. They included boys’ and girls’ bikes, kids kayaks, a $50 gift certificate to Alexander’s Restaurant and a paid stay at Fairway Suites.

Sonney expressed appreciation to all the sponsors and volunteers who helped bring the duck race back. Sponsors include Secret Cubby, Twin Docks Market, Pine Junction, Alexander’s Restaurant, Our Own Candle Company, Fairway Suites, Peek ‘n’ Peak, Findley Lake Insurance, Findley Lake Marine, Paradise Bay Campground, Triple E, Findley Lake Fashions, Mary Ford of ERA, and Findley Lake Hardware. “Special thank you to Fire Chief Jack Hamilton for providing the water tank,” Sonney added.

The Firemen’s Chicken Dinner is always a favorite, as is Light Up the Lake. At 9:30 pm the Klaxon sounded once and residents around the lake lit flares, creating a soft red glow on the water.

The fireworks began at 10 p.m., drawing a huge crowd to the downtown area. The display lasted over half an hour and had many unique fireworks, such as smiley faces and hearts.