LeClaire, Iowa -
Tug Fest - West Side of Mississippi River Tug-of-War

Tug Fest - Mississippi River Tug-of-War

This bizarre festival competition pits two towns on opposite banks of the Mississippi River against each other in an annual tug-of-war. A 2,700 ft. long rope -- 750 lbs. when dry -- is strung across the river between LeClaire, Iowa and Port Byron, Illinois. In the 2006 conflict, Port Byron beat LeClaire, creating a 10-10 tie after twenty years of Tug Fests.

According to Angie Mapes, president and coordinator on the Iowa side, a couple of locals came us with the idea in a bar in 1987. LeClaire, a larger town than Port Byron, trains their young for future service in the ranks of the Tug Team. For the adult tug, each side has about 10 teams with 20 muscled bruisers per team. The Tug Master makes the final determination of the composition of the teams.

During the tug-of-war, that section of the Mississippi River is closed to nautical traffic. Ten teams each pull in three minute long challenges, and the side with the most wins takes the day.

The next Tug Fest is in mid-August 2007. More info at www.tugfest.com. [RoadsideAmerica.com Team, 12/10/2006]

Tug Fest - West Site of Mississippi River Tug-of-war
Iowa's Tourism Event of the Year for 1998 was Tugfest in LeClaire (also birthplace to Buffalo Bill Cody). Organizers stretch a 680 pound rope over the Mississippi River and stage all kinds of tug of war competitions with rivals from Illinois.... [08/09/1999] Complete News Story