The Friends of the Public Garden will celebrate Mother’s Day with Boston-area families during its annual “Duckling Day” parade on Sunday, May 12. Registration will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Parkman Bandstand in the Boston Common, and the parade will begin at noon.
Based on the children’s classic “Make Way for Ducklings” by Robert McCloskey, Duckling Day is an annual event where children and their family’s parade through Boston Common and the Public Garden dressed like characters from the story. Led by the Harvard University Marching Band, the parade will begin in Boston Common at the Parkman Bandstand and end in the Public Garden near the famous duckling sculptures.
Prior to the parade there will be plenty of family entertainment including face painters, balloon artists, a magician, and puppet playtime with the Puppet Showplace Theater. Mayor Thomas M. Menino will greet families prior to the parade beginning, and actors from the Wheelock Family Theater will do a dramatic reading from the book. The registration fee is $35 per family in advance and $40 per family the day of the event. Each child who registers will receive a special goodie bag filled with “Duckling Day” toys and treats.
“’Duckling Day’ is one of the most cherished family traditions in Boston,” said Elizabeth Vizza, executive director of the Friends of the Public Garden. “Mother’s Day would not be complete without seeing hundreds of little “ducklings” come to our parks and delight in reliving a classic. We look forward to celebrating with old and new families alike as this tradition lives on.”
For more information about “Duckling Day,” visit www.friendsofthepublicgarden.org, or call Regina Norfolk at 508-494-6630 or Harron Ellenson at 617-267-7366.