Myrtle Beach, S.C. | April 13, 2026 | Thomas Beach Vacations
World’s Largest Rubber Duck Returning to Myrtle Beach May 1–2, 2026
Mama Duck, the six-story-tall inflatable ambassador for water safety, will return to Burroughs and Chapin Pavilion Place as part of National Water Safety Month and the Sun Fun Festival. The free public event runs both days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — The world’s largest rubber duck is returning to Myrtle Beach. Mama Duck, the six-story-tall inflatable that made her Grand Strand debut in May 2025, is scheduled to appear at Burroughs and Chapin Pavilion Place on May 1 and 2, 2026, as part of National Water Safety Month.
The City of Myrtle Beach announced the return visit, with the YMCA of Coastal Carolina again leading the project in partnership with the City and Visit Myrtle Beach. Black’s Tire and Auto Service is returning as the event’s presenting sponsor. The event is free and open to the public, with hours running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
Last year’s visit was cut short when high winds caused a structural tear in the inflatable, forcing organizers to deflate Mama Duck before her scheduled run had concluded. The 2026 return gives the event a full two-day window at the oceanfront pavilion on North Ocean Boulevard.
The event is designed to do more than draw a crowd. YMCA of Coastal Carolina representatives will be on-site throughout both days sharing practical water safety information with families — covering topics including rip current awareness, pool safety, and access to swim lessons through the organization’s Splash Safe initiative. Drowning is the leading cause of accidental death for children between the ages of one and four, and the Splash Safe program is working to address that through a regional effort to provide free swim instruction to children across Horry, Georgetown, and Williamsburg counties.
Organizers have described the goal of the Mama Duck event as creating a memorable public moment that opens the door to conversations about water safety — pairing something joyful with information that carries genuine weight in a coastal community surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, the Intracoastal Waterway, and hundreds of resort and residential pools.
The May 1–2 dates place Mama Duck’s return within the Sun Fun Festival, one of the Grand Strand’s longest-running spring events and a traditional marker of the start of the summer season on the South Carolina coast. Burroughs and Chapin Pavilion Place is located at 812 North Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach.
More information on the YMCA of Coastal Carolina’s Splash Safe initiative and the story behind the Mama Duck event is available at ymcaofcoastalcarolina.substack.com.
Visitors planning to attend from Cherry Grove Beach, Ocean Drive, Crescent Beach, or Windy Hill in North Myrtle Beach will find Burroughs and Chapin Pavilion Place a straightforward drive south along Ocean Boulevard. Families staying in the area through Thomas Beach Vacations can browse oceanfront home rentals and oceanfront condo rentals at northmyrtlebeachvacations.com or by calling (866) 249-2100.
For more information on the Mama Duck event and the YMCA of Coastal Carolina Splash Safe initiative, visit ymcaofcoastalcarolina.substack.com.