Ohio
Thousands of rubber ducks take over Cuyahoga Falls Saturday for Ohio Rubber Duck Dash
CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — Cuyahoga Falls is anything but quiet this weekend as thousands of brightly colored rubber ducks have officially taken over the city for the annual Ohio Rubber Duck Dash, a free, family-friendly festival turning downtown into a playful, high-energy celebration.
At the center of the spectacle, a towering six-story rubber duck now looms over downtown, becoming an instant landmark and a must-see photo stop for festival goers. Visitors can also spot the giant duck installation, which is known as the world’s largest rubber duck, stationed at Riverfront Park on Front Street.
From Riverfront Park to the amphitheater stage along Riverfront Parkway, the city has been transformed into a whimsical race course where fun meets community spirit, and yes, a few thousand floating competitors are stealing the show.
The main event kicks off at noon, with the highly anticipated duck races beginning at 1:30 p.m. Organizers say around 10,000 adopted rubber ducks will race along an inflatable track designed and built by students participating in the Six District Entrepreneur Program. This ambitious hands-on project is led completely by students who have worked on the Ohio Rubber Duck Festival all year.
“I’ve learned really how hard it is to really run something and put it on. I’ve learned a lot about sales, budgeting, financing, all these different things that I would’ve never learned in the classroom. This taught me everything,” said Reaghan Randall, Ohio Rubber Duck Festival organizer.
“To add on to that, I feel like we learned a lot of communication. We’ve had so many experiences talking to people, being on the news, talking to businesses, so I think that’s been a really great learning experience,” said McKenzie Bosko, Ohio Rubber Duck Festival organizer.
Winners from each heat of 1,000 ducks will advance through the tournament-style races, with prizes ranging from cash and gift cards to Cleveland Guardians tickets and even a year of free Swensons.
Beyond the races, the festival stretches across the day with food trucks, live music, and student-created art installations scattered throughout the park. Organizers say the goal is to blend entertainment with education while bringing the community together in an unexpectedly joyful way.
The Ohio Rubber Duck Dash Festival runs until 4 p.m. Saturday.
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PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WKBN) – Ohio State tight end Will Kacmarek was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 3rd Round, Pick 87 of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
Kacmarek is the second OSU tight end taken so far in the 2026 NFL Draft. Buckeye teammate Max Klare was taken in the 2nd Round by the Los Angeles Rams.
The Buckeye played in all 14 games this past season and scored two touchdowns. Last season, he caught 15 passes for 168 receiving yards
Kacmarek started his college career at Ohio University before he transferred to Ohio State in 2024.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was called to assist in a shooting investigation in Brecksville on Friday morning.
Law enforcement is on the scene near Snowville Road and Breckville Road, where a shooting sent two people to Metro Health this morning.
Their conditions are unknown, police said.
Brecksville Police told 19 News there is no ongoing threat, and the incident is still under investigation.
Steve Irwin, with the Ohio BCI, told 19 News that its crime scene unit was requested this morning to assist the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department and Brecksville Police Department with an investigation.
19 News is working to learn more.
Brecksville Police said it will share more details as they become available.
This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
The 2026 NFL Draft began on April 23 with a flurry of Ohio State players going off the board.
Four Buckeyes were among the top-11 picks in the draft, beginning with wide receiver Carnell Tate who was taken by the Tennessee Titans at No. 4 overall.
Linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles soon followed as they went No. 5 and No. 7 to the New York Giants and Washington Commanders, respectively. Safety Caleb Downs was the Dallas Cowboys’ selection at No. 11.
Even with the early wave of players who went, Ohio State still has its share of prospects left, with the second and third rounds of the draft set for April 24.
Here are the best remaining ones:
Kayden McDonald, defensive tackle
It figures McDonald will be among the earlier selections in the second round after he had generated some first-round buzz in recent months and was invited to the draft in Pittsburgh.
But Florida’s Caleb Banks and Clemson’s Peter Woods were the only defensive tackles to be picked in the opening round.
McDonald emerged as a run-stuffing nose tackle for the Buckeyes in his first year as a starter and was named a unanimous All-American and the Big Ten’s defensive lineman of the year.
He followed Downs, Reese and Tate in leaving school a year early to turn pro.
Max Klare, tight end
Klare was one of the Buckeyes’ top pass-catching weapons after he transferred from Purdue.
He had 43 catches for 448 yards and two touchdowns in 2025, nearly matching his production from the previous year when he led the Boilermakers in receiving as their top target.
Klare considered his move to Ohio State as an opportunity to develop into a more well-rounded tight end, pointing to blocking as an area of growth.
If he goes in the second or third round, he’d be the Buckeyes’ first tight end to be drafted on Day 2 since Jeremy Ruckert in 2022.
Davison Igbinosun, cornerback
Igbinosun spent three years with the Buckeyes after he transferred from Mississippi in 2023.
His physicality as a 6-foot-2, 189-pound cornerback challenged receivers, but also left him prone to pass interference.
He was the most heavily penalized cornerback in the nation in 2024 before cutting down on penalties last season.
Coach Ryan Day praised Igbinosun for his toughness last year, pointing to his influence on the culture of their secondary.
“A gritty, competitive dude who just brings it every day,” Day said. “He’s had a major impact on our program.”
Will Kacmarek, tight end
Kacmarek was another multi-year player out of the transfer portal for the Buckeyes after leaving Ohio for Ohio State in 2024.
He provided them with a dependable run-blocking tight end who also caught 23 passes for 254 yards and two touchdowns during his two years.
Even if he isn’t a frequent receiving target, he’ll provide a physical presence with his 6-foot-5, 261-pound frame.
Ohio State’s remaining draft-eligible players
- RB CJ Donaldson Jr.
- TE Will Kacmarek
- TE Max Klare
- OL Ethan Onianwa
- DL Caden Curry
- DL Tywone Malone Jr.
- CB Davison Igbinosun
- S Lorenzo Styles Jr.
- LS John Ferlmann
Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Email him at jkaufman@dispatch.com and follow him on @joeyrkaufman on X.
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