As travel writers, the other Gals and I receive dozens of press releases in our email in-box weekly. We typically don’t pass them on willy-nilly to you, since we prefer to draw from and write about our own personal experiences in various destinations — from eating well in New Orleans to hiking in Hawaii, and from sky diving in Florida to drinking bourbon in Kentucky.
But this event just cracked me up and I wanted to share. The 22nd annual Great River Tug Fest is a humongous tug-of-war, using a 2,400-foot, 680-pound rope, across the Mississippi River between the towns of Port Byron, Illinois, and LeClaire, Iowa. It takes place from 1 to 3 p.m., Saturday, August 9
Local organizations form 11 different teams on each side; they raise money for area nonprofits, so the event benefits the Boys & Girls Scouts, Chambers of Commerce, Lions Clubs, Parks & Rec Departments and more.
Each team tries to gain advantage as they tug on a rope stretched across the Mississippi River between LeClaire and Port Byron. The side with the most winning teams takes home the rotating trophy for that year. Currently, Illinois is in the lead with 11 wins over Iowa’s 10 wins.
While the actual tug-of-war is the highlight of the weekend, other events include Friday night fireworks, carnival rides, live entertainment, a huge parade and a 5k run/walk, kids’ tug-of-war and more. Admission to the LeClaire and Port Byron Festivals are $2 for adults and children under 12 are free.
For more information, visit the official Tug Fest website.
