The New Purpose of a Rubber Duck and the Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Invasion 2025 – and free printables

Do you remember the scene from Harry Potter in the Chamber of Secrets movie when Arthur Weasley, upon meeting Harry for the first time, asks him a confusing question, “What is the purpose of a rubber duck?”.

Jeep enthusiasts around the globe have now given this child’s bath toy a new purpose known as a movement called Jeep Ducking, or Duck Duck Jeep.

My husband drives a limited-edition MW3 Call of Duty Jeep, and we spent the weekend of August 21st-23rd at the Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Invasion Event in Pigeon Forge, TN, alongside 50,000 visitors on the parkway packed with an estimated 20,000 Jeeps. 

Jeep lovers who enthusiastically shared thousands of rubber ducks with other Jeep owners, kids, and anyone in attendance who loves the brand. To celebrate this year’s event, I decided to share this post and some fun printables for adults and kids, both to get involved in the Duck, Duck, Jeep fun. 

This post contains affiliate links that help to support this blog at no additional cost to you when you order through these links.  I hope you find something that makes you smile through these links.  

The History of the Duck, Duck, Jeep phenomenon.

The “Duck, Duck, Jeep” trend was started by Allison Parliament of Ontario, Canada, in 2020 after experiencing a negative encounter at a rest stop. Soon after, she impulsively left a rubber duck on another Jeep owner’s vehicle with a note saying “Have A Nice Day”. That simple gesture was shared on social media, and she soon began leaving rubber ducks on other Jeeps as a way to spread cheer during a time when people were feeling isolated due to the pandemic. This act of kindness resonated with the Jeep community and quickly spread to the movement it is today.

Jeep clubs started incorporating duck gifting into group events, and even major Jeep giveaways began including rubber ducks. It’s like a secret handshake, but cuter and with more quacking. This small act of kindness turns the often rugged, adventurous Jeep lifestyle into something even more warmhearted.

It’s also a great way to connect with others who share a common love for their rides.

Sharing the joy. Leaving a duck on someone else’s Jeep.

Leaving a duck is perhaps the purest expression of the trend’s spirit. This small act ties strangers together through shared Jeep appreciation and a touch of whimsy. Whether at an off-road gathering or in a parking lot, duck gifting welcomes you into a community of kindness.

It’s a surprise for the owner and a heartwarming experience for the giver.

Soon after my husband bought his Jeep, he watched a mother of a young autistic boy hand her son a bag of rubber ducks at a church soccer event, so that he could experience the joy of ducking the Jeeps in the parking lot. She told my husband that even though they didn’t own a Jeep, this small gesture makes her son feel connected to other people in his own shy way. 

Ducks lined up on the dashboard and more.

Showcasing the ducks on your Jeep has also morphed over time.  The majority of Jeep owners have them lined up along the front of their dashboard; this is referred to as a duck pond.  New gadgets have been created to insert over the dashboard vents to hold the ducks in place. 

This weekend, we saw drivers with giant inflatable ducks or large rubber ducks strapped to the top of their vehicles.  There were Duck flags, custom-made signs asking for ducks, color-coordinated ducks with their rides, and of course, t-shirts, hats, headbands, and outfits covered in ducks.  

The latest gadget we saw at one of the vendor booths was a long bungee cord with small bands, like hairbands, attached, allowing the owner to hang a collection of rubber ducks behind the seats like a clothesline. I think it’s a simple yet effective solution to having way too many ducks to display. 

Vendor booths at the convention center.

Now that I mentioned the vendors, the big event of the weekend is the vendor show at the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, featuring over 300 vendors offering parts, accessories, Duck bling, custom add-ons, and exclusive discounts, plus a “show and shine” competition where Jeep owners showcase their rides for trophies and bragging rights.

It seems that the more you deck out your ride for the event, the more people who love it and leave a duck. 

Free Duck Scavenger Hunt Printables

Another trend that was prominent this year was hand-made gifts and trinkets featuring ducks and the Jeep’s iconic logos and grills. Whether it was the little girl handing out free crocheted ducks she had worked on all year or custom keychains as gifts, the spirit of giving and celebrating the camaraderie of the brand was contagious.

I even got in on the handmade trend and finally learned how to make custom duck stickers with my Cricut Joy Xtra, which we included with the ducks we gave out.

The stickers I made will soon be available in my Etsy shop. But I’ve created a few fun printables to share here on the blog.  Each one features an entertaining way to hold a scavenger hunt for different themed rubber ducks. These are just for fun and can be enjoyed anytime during the year, anywhere, but especially at the next Jeep festival, by kids and adults alike.

Click on the link to download these free Duck Duck Jeep Scavenger Hunt printables.

Best Shops To Find Unique Rubber Ducks

I purchased the majority of the rubber ducks we gave away from Amazon.  However, we have also found ducks at stores like Hobby Lobby and Five Below.  In the Pigeon Forge area, we have a new store called Duck Yeah! that is exclusively for rubber duck enthusiasts and Jeep enthusiasts, offering hundreds of styles of rubber ducks, keychains, and, of course, Jeep-themed t-shirts. They do not have an online store set up, but according to their Facebook page, one is coming soon. 

But if you are in the market to share some rubber ducks, here are a few options to consider:

• Amazon: With its vast selection, Amazon offers everything from classic yellow ducks to novelty designs, such as firefighter, pirate, or camouflage ducks. Customer reviews and fast shipping make it a go-to platform for quick duck finds.
• Etsy: Perfect for handmade and personalized items, Etsy shops offer unique options that can be customized with painted details, names, or mini Jeep logos for meaningful gifts. Buyers often find one-of-a-kind artistic ducks here.
• Five Below retail stores. 
• Oriental Trading website.
• Local Jeep Dealerships & Events: Some dealerships and Jeep events carry exclusive duck merchandise, offering the added delight of supporting local businesses and picking up ducks in person.

The Great Smoky Mountain Jeep Invasion event is held every year on the third weekend in August. I can safely predict that we will own a Jeep for many years and possibly add another one to our driveway, so this event in Pigeon Forge and Townsend will be a part of our summer activities for years to come. If you plan to attend the event in my area in the future, please let me know so we can meet in person.

Just sharing some of the fun things about living in the Smoky Mountains.

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord.