I recently had family come into town. My sister in law came to visit, and it’s always a fun time when she is around. She is a fan of board games, festivals, and adventure. I really enjoy our time together, and this time she brought a friend. We had originally planned to go to Bridge Day at the New River Gorge Bridge, but the morning weather promised a cold and windy rain (and the long drive). I mentioned there was a giant rubber ducky in Pittsburgh. She was immediately interested. Bridge Day forgotten.
The duck came to Pittsburgh on September 27th. Hosted by the Pittsburgh International
Festival of Firsts, the Duck Bridge Party brought half a million people to the
Point to welcome the forty foot rubber duck to Pittsburgh. Dutch artist Florentijn
Hofman created the duck (one of a couple) to spread joy globally. The duck has
been to 14 cities around the world and Pittsburgh was it’s first stop in the
US. Hofman wanted to evoke childhood memories and relieve everyday stress for
the viewer. It is a piece meant to bring a smile to everyone’s face.
The drive up to Pitt was a great chance for my sister in law to see the beauty of our state, and surrounding counties.
Once we arrived in Pitt, I was surprised by the amount of people out on a cold and blustery Saturday to see the giant duck. Families, couples, old and young showed up to see the large fowl. Moored at the Point, the duck had a steady stream of visitors. I noticed it wasn’t just kids grinning, adults had a smile on their face. The happiness was accompanied by a sort of confused look that said “I’m enjoying myself, but really, a giant rubber ducky…?” It was nice to see people stepping out of their element (does your everyday include a four story tall duck?) and enjoying the sculpture as the artist intended. The duck project brought a city together, and many tourists came to Pittsburgh to experience whimsy and smile at the experience. I know my sister in law and her friend will forever remember the time they saw a giant floating rubber ducky sculpture.
The duck has left Pittsburgh now, the next location in the United States hasn’t been announced yet, although people are speculating it’ll show up somewhere on the west coast. But this isn’t your last chance to get out of your element and explore our area. The Morgantown Convention and Visitors Bureau works hard to schedule and organize events in our area. The calendar is always full of new and interesting things to do in town. Check out their website at TourMorgantown.com, as well as the Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts at Pifof.org for upcoming events.
