It’s almost time for the rope to cross the Mississippi River. It’s almost time for Tugfest.
Events for the annual Iowa-Illinois festival are set for Thursday through Saturday, Aug. 10-12, in LeClaire and across the river in Port Byron.
In addition to a series of tug-of-war battles between Iowa and Illinois teams, the festival will include a parade, 5K run, fireworks, carnival, food vendors, a sweet corn eating contest and much more.
A full schedule of events can be found at the LeClaire tug fest website and at the Port Byron website.
Here are some of the highlights of the celebration:
- Tug-of-war main event: Starts at noon Saturday, Aug. 12.
- Parade in LeClaire at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11.
- Carnival in LeClaire starts at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10
- A 5K run, called the ColorBlaze 5K, started at 8 a.m. Saturday in LeClaire..
- Live music will be in LeClaire all three days, starting at 6:30 p.m.
- A fireworks show starts at about 9:30 p.m. Friday
- Sweet Corn Eating Contest in Port Byron at 6:30 p.m. Friday. This will be a first-time event for the festival.
- Carnival in Port Byron will be all three days.
- A prince and princess pageant will be in Port Byron at 10 a.m. Saturday.
This year’s fest almost didn’t happen. A few months ago, negotiations between the Port Byron and LeClaire Tug Fest committees stalled. Iowa-side reps said “vastly different currents” give the Illinois side an advantage. The differences were eventually ironed out and the festival was scheduled.
On March 20, Tugfest officials made this announcement on Facebook: “We are excited to let you know that after much back and forth with our friends across the river, we have reached an agreement that will address the concerns of both sides. The river pull that you have come to know and love will be held with a slight twist.”
Organizers announced that for the first time, a barge will be placed in the river that will hold the rope up out of the current and prevent it from moving. This move is designed to put to rest the question of whether the current plays a part in determining the winner and promises to make this year’s event even more exciting and competitive than ever before.
