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World's Largest Rubber Duckie Moved Because Moochers Were Getting Free Selfies
The world's largest rubber duck, now on display at the Tall Ships Festival, doesn't "discriminate people" says its artist-creator Florentijn Hofman. That is, if you pay the $4 admission fee first.
The six-story tall giant rubber duck is the centerpiece of this year's Tall Ships Festival, making its first West Coast appearance ever. Originally, the duck was parked near the Vincent Thomas Bridge, where crowds gathered along the waterfront to take pictures with the duck as a backdrop. However, organizers of the Festival have since moved it to the World Cruise Terminal, where visitors will have to pay the general admission fee to get an unobstructed view of the duck, according to NBC 4.
The move has worried some local business owners in San Pedro's Ports O'Call, as they fear the crowds and profits might dwindle with the duck moving away. "It's still bringing customers in, but not as we expected it to be," Orlando Aguilar, a Ports O'Call fish market manager told ABC 7. The smaller "baby duck" that once sat in front of City Hall is now on display in San Pedro's downtown harbor instead.
Festival organizers say the move was to ensure that the "Tall Ships" part of the Tall Ships Festival weren't getting lost in all the hubbub surrounding the duck. "Our idea behind having the duck here is introducing Tall Ships to a community that doesn't already know about it yet," said festival executive producer Craig Sambrorski. Festivalgoers will now have to walk past the vendors and ships in the festival in order to reach the duck.
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For people eager to catch a glimpse of the duck but can't make the festival this weekend, Sambrorski says there are future appearances for the duck to be announced on Sunday when the festival ends.
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