by Dot Cannon

“Great weather for ducks” isn’t an accurate statement for Southern California this weekend.   But “The World’s Largest Rubber Duck” will be back next week.

High winds forced the deflation of the eleven-ton, six-story floating yellow sculpture in Wilmington on Thursday, according to the Port of Los Angeles’ Facebook page.    As the winds were beginning to damage “Rubber Duck”, officials cancelled two planned appearances on Thursday and Friday.  However, the duck is scheduled to reappear in the port next Tuesday, September 2nd.

Rubber Duck, created by artist Florentijn Hofman, captured everyone’s imagination at Tall Ships Festival LA 2014.   The giant bath toy inspired hundreds of “selfies”–and served as a backdrop for a marriage proposal, according to a post on the Port’s Facebook page.  After the Festival, the Port of Los Angeles’ website announced plans to keep the duck on display for another two weeks.  The Port even created a program called “Duck Days of Summer”,  with a different duck-related event each day the duck is on exhibit at the L.A. waterfront.

And before the weather turned foul (sorry), plans had been to have the duck “on holiday” for Labor Day Weekend.  So, the giant bath toy should be right on schedule when “Save-A-Bird Day” kicks off Rubber Duck’s final week in Los Angeles at noon on Tuesday.

Activities listed on the  Port of Los Angeles’ website for the rest of next week include “Dress Like a Duck Day” on Thursday, the 4th, and a “Duck Dance Day” at 5:00 on Saturday afternoon, the 6th, to bid Rubber Duck goodbye, for now.

However, Wilmington can prepare to say “hello”.  Rubber Duck is making one final appearance–at Banning’s Landing, on Sunday, September 7th.   On their Facebook page, Port of Los Angeles says they plan to bring the duck back to Wilmington that Sunday, to make up for the canceled appearance and give schoolchildren a chance to see Rubber Duck.

More details should be forthcoming next week, but so far, it sounds pretty ducky.