An unbelievable number of people visited the giant rubber duck in Toronto
If you made your way down to the water to see the giant duck this weekend, you were part of the massive crowd that turned up to see this six-storey bath toy at the Redpath Waterfront Festival.
According to Lea Parrell, the festival's co-producer, well over half a million people attended the three-day event. "We have calculated that we had over 750,000 in attendance for the Redpath Waterfront Festival," she said via email.
The Toronto Star reported that nearby businesses were swamped all weekend as hordes of locals and tourists headed lakeside to take selfies with the duck.
Was it worth it? Apparently it cost $21,000 (USD) to rent the giant inflatable. "The balance of the [$121,000] grant went to pay for fencing, extra security, extra washrooms, marketing, signage, a tugboat, a crane, a forklift, and other event expenses around the duck," says Parrell.
If you missed it in Toronto, the duck will be heading out on a cross-Ontario tour. It'll be in Owen Sound this weekend and will later visit Sault Ste. Marie, Midland, Amherstburg and Brockville.
