The Great Pootatuck Duck Race and Town Festival, a Sandy Hook tradition sponsored by the Newtown Lions Club, will take place Saturday, May 27, from 10 am until 2:30 pm.

Admission is free, and there will be fun for all ages, with food, entertainment, and booths featuring local community groups and businesses.

Ticket holders for the first 20 ducks across the finish line will share more than $4,400 in prizes, with a top prize of $2,000 cash. Prizes this year also include everything from gift certificates for local restaurants, stores and businesses, to a handknit Icelandic Lopi wool afghan and matching pillow valued at $300.

Duck Race tickets can be purchased for $5 each at various Newtown establishments or from any Lions Club member. They will also be on sale at the event itself until 2 pm, unless sold out.

The Duck Race is a major fundraiser for the Lions Club, which supports 70-plus charities annually.

In addition to the duck race itself, which will take place at 2:30 that afternoon, the day's entertainment will include a tug of war between members of Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue and Hook & Ladder fire companies (11 am); performances by Super Glue, a Newtown band featuring Eli Holmes, Jack Swanson and Jimmy Davies, at 11:30; students of Ashurst Academy of Irish Dance (noon), Magic Marty and The Amazing Tony (12:30), The Graceful Planet (1 pm), Porco Karate Academy (1:30), and Lathrop School of Dance (2 pm).

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