National Tom Sawyer Days
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| National Tom Sawyer Days | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Festival or Fair |
| Date | 1956 |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Venue | Broadway street |
| Locations | Hannibal, Missouri |
| Coordinates | 39°42′18″N 91°22′01″W / 39.705°N 91.366944°W |
| Country | US |
| Years active | 69 |
| Founders | Hannibal Jaycees |
| Most recent | July 4, 2025 |
| Next event | July 4, 2026 |
| Activity | Games |
| Website | Tom Sawyer Days |
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.
Events
National Tom Sawyer Days 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 July 4, 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 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, fireworks,[4] and a tricycling race on East Broadway Street, running along the river.[1]
In 1993, competitors participated in a mud volleyball tournament while the Mississippi River was 12 feet over flood level. There was also a Mark Twain impersonator, wearing all white, leading a parade down Broadway.[9]