Cruising Into Town!

Festival On Wheels is a car show that has been going on during the Nauvoo Grape Festival for over 30 years. More than 500 classic automobile owners cruise into town to show off there rides!

The festivals starts Saturday evening with a poker run, dinner, and a night car show. Then Sunday enjoy a afternoon viewing all the cars and stick around for the award show in the evening!

For more information about registration visit:
http://www.festivalonwheels.com/

Grape Festival

In 1938 several members of the Unity Club (forerunner of the present Chamber of Commerce) thought Nauvoo needed an attraction to bring tourists to town. They decided to have a festival to celebrate the harvest of their grape crop.

73 years later the Nauvoo Grape Festival has become a well-known attraction in the tri-state area and brings thousands of sight-seers and tourists to town. Every Labor Day Nauvoo gears up for a weekend of fun and celebration.

Some of the main events include:

Entertainment tents for both teens and adults
Pet Parade and Feature Parade
Festival On Wheels
Wine tasting at local Winery
Arts and Craft Booths
Wedding of The Wine and Cheese play, Directed by the historical society.

Watch For It!

Since September of 2009 the city of Nauvoo has been putting together and developing their MAPPING program.

You are probably asking, "What is MAPPING?"
The word MAPPING is an acronym for "Management and Planning Programs Involving Non-metropolitan Groups" which basically means Nauvoo is trying to get their many groups and organizations together to improve communication, eliminate duplication of work, and improve efficiency among community, tourist and business groups.

Nauvoo has such a wide range of available activities and thanks to the MAPPING program groups are being organized to develop these activities. For example:

BIRDING!

Did you know that the Illinois Audubon Society had their spring gathering in Nauvoo and identified about 127 different species of birds in the area?

A group developed from the MAPPING committee that focuses strictly on Nature Based Tourism has applied for a $250,000 National Scenic By-way grant to complete Phase I of a bird and nature trail! The five-foot wide trail has three phases and will run a few miles of trails along the Mississippi River. This trail will make it possible for birders and nature enthusiests of any age, shape or size to get a view of the scenery Nauvoo has to offer!

"Our Story Goes On"

Nauvoo is getting a little damp, but nothing has kept the shows from going on. Despite the threats of rain many visitors have come from all over to see the Nauvoo Pageant and historic sites.

Have you already seen the pageant? Don't worry, there are many more shows to see.

The past few years the Core cast of the Nauvoo Pageant has put on a moving musical performance about the triumphs and trials of life that we all face. "Our Story Goes On" was developed to showcase the many talented members of the cast and encourage guest to come to Nauvoo and participate in the pageant. The story features music from Broadway Shows as well as Original works by, Ross Boothe, one of the writers of the production. As the families in the story are woven together you can not help but find yourself and your story woven among them. Performances will be on July 18 at 6.00pm In O'Fallon, IL , and July 25 at 6.00pm in Peoria, IL.

Summer

Summer has started and so far it has been rather entertaining. The BYU Young Ambassadors and Vocal point were just here and they were AMAZING! But don't worry there is still fun on the way.

Up coming events include...

The Nauvoo Pageant starting July 6th and will go until July 31st (Tuesday-Saturday only)

The International Folk Dancers- August 3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14.