A popular attraction will be making its long-overdue return to Pittsburgh ahead of the NFL draft. According to a release Monday, the world’s largest rubber duck — standing at 61 feet tall, 64 feet wide, and 74 feet long — will waddle its way into the Burgh as thousands begin to make way to the city. It will greet visitors from April 17 through April 22 at 10 Foster Plaza. In addition, a two-day Rubber Duck Tailgate Party and other events will take place to celebrate the return of the popular tourist attraction. The duck, owned and operated by Big Duck LLC, is a touring attraction that has appeared at festivals, fairs, and special events across the United States and Canada.The release said the 2026 duck is 50% larger than the 2013 version, which was created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman.The 2013 version, which was housed at the Point in Pittsburgh during the Pittsburgh Cultural Festival of Firsts, was one of the last times the duck was in the area. It stood at only 40 feet tall. Most recently, the duck made a brief return to Idlewild. Funding for this year’s event at no cost to the public is being provided by local entrepreneur Jason Wolfe, the founder of Wolfe LLC, a commerce services company.“I moved to Pittsburgh in 1994 with nothing,” Jason Wolfe, founder and CEO of Wolfe, LLC, said in the release. “I’d gone to the Milton Hershey School — a residential school for disadvantaged kids. After two spinal surgeries, I was living out of my car. So, I went to the Carnegie Library and taught myself how to code. That turned into a company. That company turned into a few companies. One of them sold for over $120 million. Pittsburgh gave me a second chance, and this is my way of saying thank you.”The release outlined the duck’s schedule, along with providing details on the additional events ahead of the NFL draft, which takes place April 23-25. On Saturday and Sunday (April 18-19) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Rubber Duck Tailgate Party will feature food trucks, a prize wheel, giveaways of branded rubber ducks, footballs, towels, T-shirts, and stickers, as well as PerfectGift+ card sales and giveaways, a shimmer wall photo backdrop and social media activations, the news release said.On April 20 and 21, the attraction will be closed to the public for private, invitation-only events.On April 22, the duck will be reopened to the public before being taken down ahead of the draft kickoff on Thursday.Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube Channel
PITTSBURGH —
A popular attraction will be making its long-overdue return to Pittsburgh ahead of the NFL draft.
According to a release Monday, the world’s largest rubber duck — standing at 61 feet tall, 64 feet wide, and 74 feet long — will waddle its way into the Burgh as thousands begin to make way to the city.
It will greet visitors from April 17 through April 22 at 10 Foster Plaza. In addition, a two-day Rubber Duck Tailgate Party and other events will take place to celebrate the return of the popular tourist attraction.
The duck, owned and operated by Big Duck LLC, is a touring attraction that has appeared at festivals, fairs, and special events across the United States and Canada.
The release said the 2026 duck is 50% larger than the 2013 version, which was created by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman.
The 2013 version, which was housed at the Point in Pittsburgh during the Pittsburgh Cultural Festival of Firsts, was one of the last times the duck was in the area. It stood at only 40 feet tall.
Most recently, the duck made a brief return to Idlewild.
Funding for this year’s event at no cost to the public is being provided by local entrepreneur Jason Wolfe, the founder of Wolfe LLC, a commerce services company.
“I moved to Pittsburgh in 1994 with nothing,” Jason Wolfe, founder and CEO of Wolfe, LLC, said in the release. “I’d gone to the Milton Hershey School — a residential school for disadvantaged kids. After two spinal surgeries, I was living out of my car. So, I went to the Carnegie Library and taught myself how to code. That turned into a company. That company turned into a few companies. One of them sold for over $120 million. Pittsburgh gave me a second chance, and this is my way of saying thank you.”
The release outlined the duck’s schedule, along with providing details on the additional events ahead of the NFL draft, which takes place April 23-25.
On Saturday and Sunday (April 18-19) from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., the Rubber Duck Tailgate Party will feature food trucks, a prize wheel, giveaways of branded rubber ducks, footballs, towels, T-shirts, and stickers, as well as PerfectGift+ card sales and giveaways, a shimmer wall photo backdrop and social media activations, the news release said.
On April 20 and 21, the attraction will be closed to the public for private, invitation-only events.
On April 22, the duck will be reopened to the public before being taken down ahead of the draft kickoff on Thursday.
Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube Channel