National Tom Sawyer Days also known as the National Tom Sawyer Days Carnival takes place in Hannibal, Missouri every year over the July 4 weekend. The festival includes contests from Mark Twain novels along with a parade, fireworks and a 10 km (6.2 mi) run.
| National Tom Sawyer Days | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Festival or Fair |
| Date(s) | 1956 |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Venue | Broadway street |
| Location(s) | Hannibal, Missouri |
| Coordinates | 39°42′18″N 91°22′01″W / 39.705°N 91.366944°W |
| Country | US |
| Years active | 68 |
| Founders | Hannibal Jaycees |
| Most recent | July 4, 2022 |
| Next event | July 4, 2023 |
| Activity | Games |
| Website | Tom Sawyer Days |
History
edit
National Tom Sawyer Days is a yearly event which takes place on July 4 and it is organized by the Hannibal Jaycees in Hannibal, Missouri; it began in 1956.[2][3] The event is held on the banks of the Mississippi river in downtown Hannibal.[4] Mark Twain was raised in Hannibal, Missouri, which provided the setting for his novels about Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.[5] In 1959 a joint proclamation by the mayor, as well as the governors of Illinois and Missouri, moved the holiday to July 4.[6] In 2022 Hannibal hosted the 67th annual National Tom Sawyer Days: the festival ran from June 18 through the Fourth of July 2022.[7] The 2022 festival began on June 18 in the with two pageants in the Tanyard Gardens: Beautiful Baby and Little Mister/Miss Hannibal.[8]
Events
editEvents at the fair include, frog jumping, fence painting, and a "Tom and Becky" look alike contest.[2] Other events include a 10 km (6.2 mi) run, a Fourth of July parade and fireworks.[4] There is a tricycling race on East Broadway Street, running along the river. Contestants wear numbered paper plates on their backs.[1]
In 1993 Competitors participated in a "Mud Volleyball Tournament" while the Mississippi River was 12 feet over flood level. There is also a Mark Twain impersonator, wearing all white, leading a parade down Broadway.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Hendrickson, Paul (July 5, 1978). "Tom Sawyer Days in the Land of Twain". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Missouri : the Show Me State. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. 2008. p. 25. ISBN 978-1-59339-771-5. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
- ^ "67th Annual National Tom Sawyer Days Carnival". Visithannibal. Hannibal Convention & Visitors Bureau. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
- ^ a b West, Amanda B. (1998). Main street festivals : traditional and unique events on America's main streets. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 129. ISBN 0-471-19290-2. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
- ^ Thomson, David (1999). In Nevada: the land, the people, God, and chance (1st ed.). New York: Alfred A. Knopf. p. 35. ISBN 9780679454861.
- ^ "Hannibal set for National Tom Sawyer Days". St. Joseph News-Press. June 24, 1990.
- ^ Duffy, Rebecca (June 27, 2022). "National Tom Sawyer Days continue in Hannibal". WGEM. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
- ^ "67th annual Tom Sawyer Days now in full swing in downtown Hannibal". Muddy River News. June 30, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
- ^ Decourcy Hinds, Michael (July 4, 1993). "Rising Spirits a Match for the Rising River Along Stretches of the Mississippi". New York Times. Archived from the original on February 15, 2023. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
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