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Rat Run
October 2–4, 2026 · 7 AM · Hawg Pit BBQ, Grafton, Illinois · Grafton, Illinois
About this event
Grafton sits where the Illinois River meets the Mississippi, and the Rat Run uses that geography — it is a multi-stop run rather than a single site, with the Hawg Pit on Main Street as its best-known start point. The Hawg Pit itself is a biker bar and barbecue joint overlooking the water. It opens at seven for the run, serves breakfast from eight, and runs live bands and a Bloody Mary bar through both days, with drink specials into the night. Details tend to live on the organisers' social pages rather than a website, so check before travelling. The road is the draw either way. Grafton is on the Illinois stretch of the Great River Road, which follows the Mississippi through ten states, and the section of bluff road between Grafton and Alton is one of the finest short rides in the Midwest — river on one side, limestone cliffs on the other, and eagles overhead in the colder months.
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