National Tom Sawyer Days means more visitors, tourism money

HANNIBAL (WGEM) - National Tom Sawyer Days will kick off Wednesday afternoon in Hannibal, despite the rising Mississippi and the riverfront being closed off by floodgates.

Chairman of Tom Sawyer Days Kaylee Buckman said they have been getting questions about what this year’s Tom Sawyer Days will offer.

She said last year, they had between 3,000 and 5,000 attendees. She said people come from all over the United States.

Buckman said they are hoping for a similar response again this year as this is an important time for the city and local businesses.

“It just helps everybody. I think it just, with everybody coming in and spending time here and just seeing what all Hannibal has to offer,” Buckman said.

Buckman said during this event the boost in revenue helps local businesses get through the winter.

Linda Studer, the owner of Mississippi Marketplace, said they have been preparing for weeks for an influx of customers by stocking up on extra supplies and cold drinks for their customers,

“You kinda have to plan for winter when we have our sleepy time. We call it January and February. So, we just kind of, you have to bank it so that, you still have the same kind of bills during that time. So that you have enough to compensate during those off-season,” Studer said.

Studer said they see at least a 20% increase in revenue during this week, which makes a big difference for them.

She said this is one of Hannibal’s top summer festivals.

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