BEST OF THE RIVER 2019 

Best of the River is focused on the best attractions, accommodations,  food & drink, and trails & tours along the Great River Road from northern Minnesota down to the Gulf of Mexico.

Best Festival

1.Tug Fest (LeClaire, IA)

Watch as  tug teams pull 2,700ft and 680lb of rope spanning the Mississippi River. Each year over 35,000 people view this spectacular and only tug-of-war across the Mississippi.

2.Twain on Main (Hannibal, MO)

Unique creations at over 100 vendors, fantastic food and beverages, and live entertainment there is plenty going on at Twain on Main! Enjoy everything Hannibal has to offer.

3.Juke Joint Festival (Clarksdale, MS)

Juke Joint Festival is “half blues festival, half small-town fair and all about the Delta.” It celebrates the area’s past and living history by presenting over 100 blues acts.

4.Mississippi Earthtones Festival (Alton, IL)

Alton Main Street and the Sierra Club hold this event annually on the 3rd Saturday in September, part of the “It’s Our River Day” initiative to celebrate Illinois watersheds.

5.Oktoberfest USA (La Crosse, WI)

Willkommen to the longest-running Oktoberfest in the Midwest. Some come for the epic parades, others for the biergarten. Plus it’s an excuse to wear lederhosen.

See results for Best of the River 2019

In 2019, thousands submitted their Best of The River choices in categories ranging from best cultural trail, best monument, best public art, best river boat tour, best brewery and more.