Small Ships Festival to Feature World’s Smallest Rubber Ducky


As you may have seen, that giant rubber ducky that was to be the star of last month’s Tall Ships Festival didn’t have such a grand debut. It deflated, got hung on a docked ship and … well, it just wasn’t pretty. To poke a little fun of the situation, the Independence Seaport Museum is rolling out the Small Ships Festival that will feature—you guessed it—the world’s smallest rubber ducky—and one that should be heaps more reliable. A rep from the Museum tells me that the fleet of small model ships that will be on display come from the Philadelphia Ship Model Society. “The small boat regatta will take place in an inflatable pool on the terrace” and, may I add, will surely be ridiculously adorable.

The festival takes place this Thursday, July 23rd—the same night that will see the grand opening of the Museum’s new beer garden, Tall Ships Tavern. To make the event complete—and that much sillier—the bar will be serving up a selection of Victory and Troegs drafts and specialty cocktails made with Tullamore Dew, Sailor Jerry and New Amsterdam Vodka.

The tongue-in-cheek Small Ships Festival is the first of a lineup of weekly maritime-themed programming at Independence Seaport called Lost at Sea. A press release from the venue says the series is “designed to generate river awareness and highlight the Museum’s dedication to the waterfront and devotion to education.”

Tall Ships Tavern | Photo from Independence Seaport Museum

Tall Ships Tavern | Photo from Independence Seaport Museum

Activities, taking place through the first week of September are all family-friendly and will include a Rescue Weekend, where you can meet and greet and hear stories from first responders; a Pirate Weekend with lots of pirate-themed to-dos; and a Tattoo Weekend complete with a tour of the Tattoo Lounge and faux tattoo applications. Find out more information about that here.

If you’re more interested in the drinks, the Tall Ships Tavern will be open Thursday to Sunday night, starting at 5 pm on Thursday and Friday, and noon on Saturday and Sunday. More info on the schedule, bar offerings and rotating food options here.