Rubber ducks take over Helena during Buck Creek Festival
Published 12:34 pm Tuesday, October 14, 2025
Another year of one of Helena’s most beloved traditions is in the books. (For the Reporter/Tracy Franklin)
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By DANIEL LOCKE | Staff Writer
HELENA – Buck Creek was filled with rubber ducks over the weekend, as another edition of one of Helena’s most beloved traditions took place.
The 2025 Buck Creek Festival was held at Helena Amphitheatre Park on Friday, Oct. 10 and Saturday, Oct. 11, giving local people an opportunity to listen to live music, shop from a wide variety of vendors, enjoy the expansive options of food available, spend quality time with friends and family and enjoy the famous duck race, named in honor of Jack Gray.
“It means so much to carry on this tradition in Helena,” said JoAnna Harman, the festival’s president. “I feel honored to lead this great team as we put our hearts into it every year.”
The event provided an enjoyable experience for residents and members of the city’s leadership alike.
“BCF (Buck Creek Festival) is one of the longest-running charity events in Helena,” said City Council Member Hewy Woodman. “I am amazed by how such a small group of volunteers put together such an amazing festival. For a free event, it really impressed with music, activities and vendors.”
Southtown Revival got the weekend’s festivities started with a performance at 6 p.m. on Friday. The ’77 Experience took the stage at 8 p.m., closing out the festival’s opening night.
Gates reopened at 10 a.m. on Saturday, and Swamp Poppas promptly took the stage to resume the weekend’s selection of live music. The Helena High School Jazz Band performed at noon. Margeaux and The Cat’s Meow had a set beginning at 1:15 p.m., Erin Black performed at 3:15 p.m. and The Only’s went on at 4 p.m.
CashBack, serving as the event’s headlining act, closed out Saturday with a set that began at 6 p.m.
Saturday was a special day in Helena, as the City Council previously passed an ordinance to declare Oct. 11 “Jack Gray Day,” honoring his service to the festival and the city of Helena as a whole.
Gray, who passed away in May, served as the “duck wrangler” for many years, making it a fitting honor to name the race after him.
A lot of work goes into making the festival happen each year, and a dedicated team works with Harman to help plan everything out and ensure the event goes as smoothly as possible.
“So proud of this team of people that meets year-round to plan and put this all together,” Harman said. “Words can’t express how thankful I am for them and the volunteers that join in to help the weekend of the event. We truly couldn’t do it without the community support.”
When the festival begins and Harman and the rest of the team have the opportunity to see their hard work pay off right in front of them, all of the preparation becomes worthwhile.
“Watching the constant flow of people coming in the entrance—seeing their smiles and hearing their laughter, that’s what makes it all worth it,” Harman said.
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