The fourth annual Cotton Festival and Cotton Ramble Bicycle Ride in historic Sikeston, Mo., will be held Saturday, Oct. 13.

There will be 13-mile, 16-mile, and 65-mile rides. All rides start at the downtown historic train depot and move through shaded, tree-lined streets, past majestic homes. Leaving town, riders will travel along fields of cotton, soybeans, and corn. The 26-mile and 65-mile routes go past two working cotton gins that will be offering tours. Routes are well-marked, with rest stops offering refreshments and toilet facilities.

Friday evening, Oct. 12, there will be a “Rock and Ramble” at 7 p.m. at Jeremiah’s Restaurant and Lounge, two blocks east of the ride start. The morning of the ride, in Legion Square, adjacent to the ride start, there will be a farmer’s market.

The Cotton Festival, offering food, crafts, live entertainment, and family fun will be held in Legion Square following the bike rides. The Depot Museum will offer visitors a look at the bygone era when cotton was king in the Missouri Bootheel.

Proceeds from the events will benefit historic downtown Sikeston.

For information, go to www.cottonramble.com, telephone Jiggs Moore at (573) 475-3725 or e-mail [email protected].