Ducks, souped up

>> >> What's on the bill (get it? The bill?) for Duckfest 2000

by RUPERT BOTTENBERG

Why is it not surprising that DKD's Donald Tarlton, whose longtime mascot was a certain other Donald, would be quacking at the chance to get involved in something called Duckfest 2000?

For the fourth year in a row, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue's locks (warmly remembered from Ste. Anne's pre-gentrification days as the premier location for underage drinking) is the site of the Indy 5000 of artificial waterfowl. See, before you duck-rights types get your feathers ruffled, know this: the ducks aren't real. That's right, 15,OOO rubber duckies, carefully audited and numbered, get dumped on signal. If your duck ("adopted" beforehand at $5 a pop) is the first, second or third to hit the finish line, you're up for a Toyota Echo, five grand in furniture, or a trip to Florida.

This year there's live music, too. The DKD Group are providing a spread between 2:30-7 p.m. (at which point the races start and the insanity begins). Slated to appear, among others, are alternarockin' teen dreamboats Serial Joe, CHOM Esprit-winners Rubberman, R&B diva-in-waiting Jodie Resther (watch this one) and these sexy, 19-year-old twins called 11:30. You may know their destined-for-hitness hi-NRG disco-flamenco tune "Olé, Olé." Also on hand will be Andrea Ciccone (no relation to Madonna) and Annie Brocoli (no relation to childhood dinnertime misery).

The whole thing's in support of the Lakeshore General Hospital, which is nice. What kind of support is unclear--perhaps the hospital is facing a shortage of quacks? :

At the locks in Ste- Anne-de-Bellevue on Sunday, June 11, 2pm, free