For most people, the Saturday before Thanksgiving is a time of preparation for the big day with a distinct focus on turkey. BUT in tiny Stuttgart, Arkansas, a city with a population just shy of 8,000 people, all eyes are on the beauties vying for the titles of Queen Mallard and Junior Queen Mallard. The winners reign from the Tuesday before Thanksgiving to the Saturday after, a time when waterfowl is celebrated and Stuttgart swells with over 40,000 visitors for the Annual Wings Over the Prairie Festival, The World’s Championship Duck Calling Contests and the Duck Gumbo Cook-Off!
This year marked the 90th consecutive year of the Festival and the 43rd for Duck Gumbo (as the contest is affectionately known). The party is celebrated in the Duck Hunting Capital of the World (firmly capitalized by duck hunters through the South) by the men and women who hunt, paint, carve and cook the prolific ducks who ply this flyway. There is something for absolutely everyone, whether a hunter, artist, chef or just a kid looking for a good time.
That’s right, each year from November 25 to 29, you could be smack dab in the middle of one of the best outdoor shows anywhere, anytime. Spanning six city blocks, giant tents house hundreds of booths selling everything from high-end duck paraphernalia to clothing to disco balls to decoys. You’ll see the latest in duck hunting equipment, accessories, boards, apparel – basically anything and everything needed for a successful hunt.
The fun really kicks in the Tuesday following the pageant with the opening of a spectacular midway, one of the most popular family events. Children and adults enjoy the old-fashioned (but never old) joys of a street carnival. Numerous games, basketball, darts and numerous other games will test your skills, and there are rides with names like the Hurricane, Cobra, Pharaoh’s Fury and, of course, the perennial favorite, a huge Ferris Wheel.
The Friday after Thanksgiving brings additional activities for the kids. For 4- to 8-year-olds, a duck calling class introduces young ones to the sport of calling and, hopefully, leads them to a lifetime interest. Calling competitions start with the Intermediate World Championship Duck Calling Contest for ages 14 to 16. Meanwhile, older participants will find an arts and crafts area complete with gift ideas for the family, a sporting collectibles show and numerous other duck calling classes and opportunities. Adult activities begin in earnest with the VIP Party and the free Party in the Park. Both provide live music and plenty of food and libations, but you must be the appropriate age to participate!
All the comings and goings of the week are truly the prelude to Saturday, the big deal grand finale day - and what a day it is! Added to all the other activities are the signature events that are both the draw and the denouement to the festival: the duck-calling and gumbo-making that have made Wings Over the Prairie the place to be for the past 90 years. Competitions begin with the Junior World's Championship Duck Calling Contest (age 13 and under) at 9:30 a.m., followed by the Women's World's Duck Calling Contest and a World's Duck Calling Contest for students aged 16 to 20.
Then comes the big kahuna, the 90th World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest, open to men and women. Immediately afterwards, past world champions challenge each other in The Champion of Champions World’s Duck Calling Contest. (They are not fooling around when they say World’s Champion - this is as serious as it gets!)
And while all this quacking, whistling and croaking is goin’ on, the Duck Gumbo, one of the most popular events of the weekend, is cranking up. Requirements include using at least 3 quarts of gumbo, and 50 percent of the meat must be duck. Judging starts at 3:00 pm, but the free samples are ladled out long before that. Most teams have themes and decorations designed to win Best Booth, and, by the time the winners have been announced, the party has moved into adults-only territory. And now the par-tay really begins! Live music and dancing are part of the Official Gumbo After Party, which follows the live music and dancing after the judging. The Beer Garden, open for two days at this point, is going full steam, and everyone is celebrating another successful Festival.
With more than enough fun, food and activity for everyone, Wings Over the Prairie could become a holiday tradition for the entire family!
For more information, contact the flock at stuttgartduckfest.com.
Stuttgart swells with over 40,000 visitors for the Annual Wings Over the Prairie Festival, The World’s Championship Duck Calling Contests and the Duck Gumbo Cook-Off!
And while all this quacking, whistling and croaking is goin’ on, the Duck Gumbo, one of the most popular events of the weekend, is cranking up.