On August 7-9, Le Claire, Iowa and Port Byron, Illinois hosted the 38^th Annual Tug Fest. The “tug” refers to a tug of war game between Illinois and Iowa with a 2,700-foot long rope that stretches across the Mississippi River. This year, Illinois won all eleven rounds of tugging to continue their win streak to over a decade.

The first tug fest began in 1987, after Scott Verbeckmoes watched a similar tug-of-rope competition and had the idea to bring that up to Port Byron and across the Mississippi. During the competition, states are split into teams of 20 tuggers each, which battle in in one round each to gain a point. The side with the most points at the end wins.

The theme of this year’s Tug Fest was “Pirates of Mississippi,” encouraging attendees to dress up and embrace the swashbuckling spirit. The fest also held its first ever treasure hunt and encouraged attendees to explore local businesses, receiving stamps for a chance to receive a grand prize. The fest had several other events like live music, a carnival and a fireworks display for visitors to attend.

Tug Fest has become a regular event for many; some have attended the event for more than thirty years. It is a great source of competition and state pride for those involved, with teams practicing for months to win the Alabaster Eagle trophy for their state.

The tug fest takes place annually in August and is open to the public. Read more about Tug Fest here.