VASSALBORO — A flotilla of 1,000 rubber ducks will race down Mill Stream on Saturday as part of the Vassalboro Days celebration.

The Double Dam Duckie Derby is set for noon, and is an addition to the annual gathering, which features arts and crafts, food vendors and activities for children.

The duck race is a fundraiser for the Vassalboro Business Association; but the winner will get $200, second place will get $100 and third place will get $50.

As of Wednesday afternoon, there were only about dozen ducks left to sell, said Ray Breton, a business association member. The duckies are being borrowed from the Unity Rotary Club, which puts on its own duck race, Breton said.

“They are going like hotcakes,” he said.

The ducks will travel over two dams near the old mill that Breton owns. He plans to post helpers along the shoreline to give ducks a nudge if they get stuck along the way. Breton said a test run shows the race will take about 15 minutes; and after recent heavy rain, they could go even faster.

“These ducks move right along,” he said.

The business association pays for entrance signs to the town, bicycle helmets for children, and dam repairs, he said. All the money is spent locally.

Vassalboro Days begins on Friday with an open house from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Maine Savings Federal Credit Union, followed by desserts across the street at Farm Family Insurance.

On Saturday, events include a 5-kilometer road race, an arts and crafts sale, a bounce house and food vendors behind Farm Family Insurance. There’s also a yard sale at Maine Savings Federal Credit Union and an evening coffeehouse at the Grange.

More information is available on the town website, www.vassalboro.net.

Susan Cover — 621-5643

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