In addition to our year-round activities, Nauvoo is the location for many wonderful events and festivals your whole family will enjoy. Many of these events have become regional traditions and attract people from around the world.
Historic Nauvoo sites are open for in-person guided tours, and the Young Performing Missionaries are performing daily. All visitors wishing to tour any of the sites must register in advance for guided tours of selected sites. On-line tours of the sites are also available. Click here for more information.
Celebrate the beauty & history of Lake Cooper during the River & Rail Weekend October 1 - 3. Events will be held in the Lake Cooper Loop communities: Ft. Madison, Montrose, Keokuk, Hamilton, Nauvoo and Niota!
FRIDAY IN FORT MADISON:
*4-6pm - Meet & Greet at the Kingsley Inn. Q & A with event coordinators to learn about the weekend's events, locations and special speakers.
*6pm - Fish Fry at the Elks
*7:30pm - Welcome Virtual Railfan & Lake Cooper Loop Group
*8pm - Drinks at the Lost Duck and River Rocks
SATURDAY IN FORT MADISON:
8-9an Breakfast and 9am - Q & A with Engineers at Cobblestone Inn & Suites
9am-5pm FM Pavilion is hosting:
*Virtual Railfan Booth
*Scale Trains Booth
*Operation Life Saver Booth
*Lake Cooper Loop Group Booth
*Restrooms, tables and chairs for a break
*Coal Haus Food Truck
*Food Truck
*Drink Truck
Santa Fe Depot Complex
*10-4pm N. Lee County Historic Society Museum
*Amtrak platform & Santa Fe Way Car
*CB&Q Depot & Sky Walk
AT&SF Steam Locomotive 2913
9am-5pm Old Fort Madison
SUNDAY IN FORT MADISON:
*8am American Melody Riverboat to dock at the pier by the Pavilion.
9am-3pm Pavilion is open!
*Scale Trains Booth
*Virtual Railfan Booth
*Lake Cooper Loop Group Booth
*Restrooms, tables and chairs for a break
*Coal Haus Food Truck
*Food Truck
*Drink Truck
2pm American Melody heads north
SATURDAY IN MONTROSE:
*11-3pm Fall Farmer's Market at Montrose Riverfront - 203 N. 1st Street
*Serving Fall Lunch: Hand breaded tenderloins, side salads, pumpkin bars and a drink
*Button Cutting Machine using river shells
*Train car photo opportunity
*Steam Whistle
*Museum and Observation Deck
SATURDAY IN KEOKUK:
*8am-5pm Keokuk Area Tourism Bureau open
*Mississippi River Tours out of Southside Boat Club at 10am, 12:30pm, 3pm & 5:30pm. $30 per person and limited to 40 people per trip.
*Keokuk Union Depot -
*10am-5pm Bill Trimble Memorial Cruise-In at Victory Park
*9am-5pm George M. Verity Riverboat Museum
*9am-5pm Walk the Observation Deck that hosts the StreamTime Live river cam!
*Keokuk Yacht Club:
5-6pm - Social Hour
6-7:30pm - Steak dinner at Keokuk Yacht Club
7:30pm - Thank you from VR & LCL
8pm - The band Captain Geech & the Shrimp Shack Shooters will play along the riverfront into the night.
SATURDAY IN HAMILTON:
*Hoffman Mansion Tour - "Around The World In 80 Minutes"
Tours are at 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm and are $35 per person and limited to 30 people per tour.
*Geode Hunting - Mine for Iowa's State Rock at:
-Jacob's Geodes
-Wildcat Springs
SATURDAY IN NAUVOO:
*Nauvoo Tourist Information Center:
217-453-6648
www.beautifulnauvoo.com
*Historic Area: www.nauvoohistoricsites.com to schedule tours and get more information
*Baxter's Vineyards & Winery 2010 Parley Street, Nauvoo
217-453-2528
*Nauvoo Fudge Factory
1215 Mulholland Street, Nauvoo
217-453-6389
*5th Annual Scarecrow Festival - Over 35 scarecrows will be on display along the Mulholland Street Business District.
Nauvoo is hosting the fifth annual Scarecrow Festival. Over thirty-five scarecrows will be on display along the Mulholland Street business district from October 2nd through the month of October. Awards will be given to the top 3 entries. The crows are not scared by Covid 19. They will be socially distanced and are looking forward to both old and new "crows" to join them. They are welcoming back the popular minions.
Take advantage of the "Photo Frame" opportunity to have memories captured using your cell phone or camera.
The fifth annual Scarecrow Festival is sponsored by the Nauvoo Betterment Association, a group dedicated to promoting and encouraging improvements to the quality of life in Nauvoo.
The Fall Family Fun Concert has something for everyone and will be Saturday, October 9th at 7:00 p.m. at 385 North Wells Street (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints). The Nauvoo Orchestra will be performing with Special Guest Artists: JoAnn Gallaher and James Salusbury. Come enjoy a delightful evening of music that will lift your heart.
The City of Nauvoo is again coming alive in the Halloween Spirit as it hosts its annual Pumpkin Walk Saturday, October 23rd. This year's event will feature hundreds of hand-carved jack-o'-lanterns that will be lit and displayed along Mulholland Street. Watch for the pumpkin chunker cannon and the see the many costumes in the annual parade. Many of the Nauvoo merchants will operate on extended hours with specials, treats and entertainment throughout the day.
The Nauvoo Christmas Walk will be held Frirday, December 10th with festivities beginning in the Historic Nauvoo Visitors' Center at 5:45 p.m.and running through 9:00 p.m. The festivities start with a Tree Lighting Ceremony and program at 5:45 followed by a Live Nativity program which will be performed twice in the West Theater. There will be wagon rides thru Historic Nauvoo and to the various sites where popular Christmas stories will be told. Each site will have a different story. Refreshments will be served in the Family Living Center. The public is invited and all activities, treats, etc. are free.
The 12th annual Untold Nauvoo Stories Symposium will move online for 2022. Due to the current covid situation the plans have not been finalized.
The Nauvoo Orchestra presents "Music for the Soul" on March 12th at 7:00 p.m at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 380 North Durphy Street. Come enjoy a delightful evening of music that lifts our hearts. There is no cost to attend the event but free will donations will benefit the orchestra.
The Nauvoo Pageant fills the summer evenings of Nauvoo with authentic hymns and folksongs, lively dances and tender moments that share the joy and tell the stories the early days of Nauvoo. Inspired by journals, sermons and historic records of the period, the pageant is a fun and enjoyable performance with a great story to tell. The pageant has been calcelled for 2021 but will held July 5th thru July 30th, 2022 with performances Tuesday through Saturday night.
Come early and enjoy the Country Fair starting at 7:00 p.m. Join in a variety of pioneer games and activities. Enjoy some toe tapping music while learning pioneer dances.
Learn more about the Nauvoo and British Pageant and other activities.
The Nauvoo Community Center will be a beautiful addition to Nauvoo. The Nauvoo Community Center Capital Campaign Committee is currently raising funds to construct the building. For more information visit nauvoocc.org.
