The Sultana Steamboat disaster is the largest maritime disaster in U.S. history. The Heritage Festival is held the third Saturday in April and strives to tell the story of the men and women who lost their lives and those few survivors that lived through that bitter night on the Mississippi River. The festival features a lecture series, civil war era music, living history portrayals and a 1865 era memorial service. The event is held at the historic Marion Courthouse square and is free and open to the public.