Canvasback Duck To Drop 100 Feet In Havre de Grace As 2021 Begins

HAVRE DE GRACE, MD — A symbol of Havre de Grace will ring in the new year Thursday night. The Susquehanna Hose Company has dropped a foam duck for the past 20 years as the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, and this year is no exception.

"The duck is the same as last year," Duck Drop organizer Ed Grainger told Patch. The canvasback design is a copy of the original the hose company used in 1999 for the first ever Duck Drop.

Canvasbacks are found in the Susquehanna Flats and areas near where the replica will be lowered off Concord Street.

In years past, the foam duck has been lit up pink for breast cancer and white with a red stripe to honor a Susquehanna Hose Company firefighter who died in the line of duty.

There is "no theme this year because we weren't sure if we were going to have it or not," Grainger said of the Duck Drop.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, events such as the Independence Day parade in the city have been canceled. The virus primarily spreads through person-to-person contact, so gatherings are a source of concern.

Havre de Grace Mayor William Martin announced during the City Council meeting Dec. 21 that the Havre de Grace Duck Drop was going to happen.

"It's a tradition," Martin said, adding the community should "bring in 2021 with a bang."

Martin, who recovered from the virus after contracting it over the summer, said: "It's important to do this because … COVID shouldn't take away things from us."

What To Expect On New Year's Eve

The lights on the duck will come on around 11 p.m., according to Grainger. The numbers "2021" will flash before midnight then become fully illuminated as the duck makes the drop from a 100-foot aerial tower truck operated by the Susquehanna Hose Company.

"We suspend everything from the basket 100 feet in the air, then we lower the duck down by inch," Grainger said, as the clock strikes midnight.

"Usually after fireworks start, we lift the duck back up, so people can take pictures of '2021' and the duck itself together," he said.

"I didn't have to physically build it like I normally do," Grainger said of the foam duck. "I just had to relight it," since the canvasback was used last year for the 20th anniversary of the Havre de Grace Duck Drop.

Last weekend, Grainger brought up all the materials for the duck, which is made of foam insulation boards, then adorned with Christmas lights.

Grainger plans to do a test run Wednesday night, "just to make sure everything works," he said, and "keep our fingers crossed for Thursday."

Watching By Car Or Livestream Encouraged

To prevent gatherings and to promote social distancing, this year the Duck Drop will have no dancing, music or food trucks.

"We normally supply hot chocolate, [but this year] our committee will be handing out masks and sanitizing stuff to people that do show," Grainger said.

"We’re going to get some people for sure, but we’re kind of hoping they sit in their cars," Grainger said.

Drivers with disabilities may park on Lafayette near the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum, and others may park near Concord Street. City personnel will close Concord Street by the Graw, but "everything else around there is available" for parking, Grainger said.

The State Theater of Havre de Grace will hold a livestream on its YouTube channel and Facebook page.

"We’re encouraging people to watch the stream," Grainger said.

It's the 21st year for the annual Duck Drop.

"I think there’s three of us who have been to every single one," Grainger said. "It’s fun every year. I get excited. I think most people do."

See Also: New Year's Eve Duck To Drop In Havre de Grace To Ring In 2021