The 'Meanest City In The Midwest' Is A Riverfront Hub With Big Festivals And Even Bigger Attitude

Forget everything you think you know about Midwestern manners. In Evansville, kindness isn't measured in pleasantries but in pork chops handed across a festival counter, in ceramic bowls filled with chili for a cause, and in the quiet pride of a town that built bombers for the world and now builds treehouses for its children. A 2024 survey from Best Betting Michigan of 2,000 Midwesterners crowned Evansville the "rudest city in the region"—scoring 5.82 out of 10 on a rudeness scale, the highest in the Midwest. Only 30% of locals say they regularly see strangers holding doors; just 26% report that guests bring food or drink to share at gatherings, which is the lowest rate in the region. The stats sting, yet they raise a sharper question: What kind of place earns that title yet still draws over 150,000 visitors every October?

Evansville anchors Indiana's far southwest corner where the Ohio River flows through the heart of the city, forming a natural border with Kentucky and linking the region to a broader riverine legacy. The river has long been a lifeline for commerce and culture, but it also hides surprises beyond the docks. Along parts of its course lies a cave system often ranked among Indiana's best natural wonders, proof that the same waterway known for industry also nurtures dramatic landscapes worth pausing to see.

Behind the statistics, Evansville stands as a hub for southwest Indiana, with employers such as Berry Global shaping its workforce and the University of Evansville fueling cultural and academic life. As University of Evansville graduate Credence Pattinson told the Evansville Courier & Press, "I was blown away by how many opportunities there are in the city." 

If Evansville has a heart, it beats loudest every October along Franklin Street during the West Side Nut Club Fall Festival. The festival transforms Franklin Street into one of the largest street festivals in the United States. The event began in 1921and now draws more than 150,000 people over a week. Its most distinctive feature is the food: more than 130 nonprofit-run booths line the street, serving everything from pork chop sandwiches to cajun catfish.

The festival's scale is matched by its pageantry. There's a parades schedule that includes everything from marching bands to floats built by neighborhood groups, as well as rides, live music, and contests. Unlike commercial fairs, the Nut Club's event channels all revenue into the city, funding youth sports fields, scholarships, and community projects for decades. That said, a little preparation goes a long way: the festival is easier to enjoy when you come prepared with simple travel essentials such as luggage trackers, pocket-sized cutlery kits, and even the most common items people forget to pack like an umbrella.

On a smaller scale, the University of Evansville's Chili Bowl Sale offers a different glimpse into the city's character. Art students handcraft ceramic bowls, sell them filled with chili, and donate the proceeds to support the campus Clay Club. It's low-key compared to the Nut Club's spectacle, but the principle is the same: food and fellowship as engines of community. Be it the crowds on Franklin Street or the quieter Chili Bowl fundraiser, Evansville's calendar makes it clear the city loves festivals as firmly as its reputation for attitude.

Evansville is home to several must-vist attractions. Start at the Evansville Wartime Museum, where you can climb into a flight simulator or stand beside a 1943 M4A4 Sherman tank. The museum details how this modest river city became a WWII production powerhouse, building landing ships, P-47 Thunderbolts, and billions of rounds of ammunition. Admission is $11 for adults, with discounts for veterans and seniors; open daily except Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Just west of downtown lies a blooming forest. Wesselman Woods, one of the largest urban old-growth forests in the U.S. Spanning over 200 acres on Evansville's west side, it features five miles of trails, a five-acre Nature Playscape (the largest in the nation), and the newly opened Arwood Family Treehouse, which is accessible via ramps and rope bridges for all ages. Nearby, Howell Wetlands offers boardwalk views of cypress sloughs and restored prairie. With its trails, wetlands, and treehouse play zones, Wesselman Woods reminds you to come prepared with all the gear you need for a summer of extreme fun in the sun, whether that means sturdy shoes, binoculars, or a picnic basket.

Don't skip Mesker Park Zoo & Botanic Garden, situated on 45 scenic acres in Evansville's northwest. The zoo features Amazonia, a rainforest exhibit where sloths, jaguars, and dozens of free-flying tropical birds roam amid lush vegetation and humidity. The zoo is open year-round from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Adult admission currently runs $11, with children (ages 3–12) at $10 and those under 2 free. And if you're wondering about the trip, Evansville Regional Airport (EVV) connects travelers with nonstop flights to Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta, and other major hubs.