BRANFORD
Celebrating the Fourth of July in Branford
By Hayli Zuccola
Painting the Town Red , White & Blue Since 1981
When the clock strikes 2 and a waterfall of rubber ducks cascades over the Frank Norris Bridge into the Suwannee River , the Fourth of July celebrations have officially taken over the town of Branford . The rest of the day is dedicated to other notable traditions like a parade , the Bedrock Derby and of course , fireworks – none of which would be possible without the Branford River Reunion Committee .
Though the Branford River Reunion Committee is in charge of organizing the entirety of the July Fourth extravaganza , the day begins with a fundraiser created by and to support the Branford Rotary Club and the charitable work they do for the community . The annual Fourth of July Duck Race is one of two major fundraisers the local Rotary Club hosts for the year and it ’ s certainly the most unique .
Numbered tickets are sold for $ 5 each with every number tied to a corresponding yellow rubber duck . The day of the event , the ducks are dumped off the bridge into the sun-soaked Suwannee River where they float about 100 yards toward a chute . Like an actual race , the ducks are called out in the order they arrived at the finish line with the top ducks announced on the winner ’ s board in Ivey Memorial Park . Every year , the Rotary Club strives to have close to 100 prizes up for grabs including monetary awards and gifts donated by various organizations and businesses .
78 SUWANNEE CHAMBER IMPACT | 2021-2022