The Channel Cat Water Taxi returns for the 2026 season beginning Friday, May 22. The water taxi will operate daily through end of September with weekend-only service continuing through mid-October, weather permitting. Operating hours are as follows:

• Monday – Thursday: 11 a.m. to 7:40 p.m.
• Friday – Sunday: 9 a.m. to 7:15 p.m.

The Channel Cat will not service the Village of East Davenport landing at Lindsay Park Marina until late June until improvements are completed this summer. Once complete, passengers will enjoy a brand-new dock and pedestrian bridges that take them from the line area to the boat, according to a MetroLINK release Wednesday.

The Channel Cat system continues to enhance the riverfront experience with upgraded signage that includes a QR code. By scanning the QR code, you can track your boat in real time and learn about points of interest at each location including shopping, eating, walking trails and family friendly experiences. Each boat has its own unique QR code, so passengers should scan each time they board.

River Action’s “Explore the River” Channel Cat Talks will return for the 2026 season on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. The educational series highlights the wildlife, history, culture and geography of the Mississippi River and the Quad Cities. Tours depart from Riverbend Commons in Moline. New this season, “Explore the River” Channel Cat Youth Talks will be offered on select Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. Dates include June 3, 10 and 17, as well as July 15 and August 12 and 19. Topics are tailored for younger audiences and include Raptors along the River, Rhythms of the River music, and an introduction to the Lock and Dam system.

The Channel Cat water taxi has a capacity of 49 people and will feature live music for the first time this summer, its 31st season.

The Channel Cat will introduce its inaugural Channel Cat Sessions music series during the 2026 season, featuring live performances from local musicians onboard select rides throughout the summer. The 2026 Channel Cat Sessions lineup includes:

• Eva Kendall: June 18, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. and June 21, 10 a.m. – 12 noon.
• Mo Carter: July 16, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. and July 19, 10 a.m. – 12 noon.
• Kaiden Leezer: 13, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. and Aug. 16, 10 a.m. – 12 noon.

These pop-up concerts will be available on a first-come, first-served basis during regularly scheduled ferry boat service. The area musicians were picked with the help of a community vote.

Eva Kendall

MetroLINK in late March sought applications for solo, acoustic artists to perform on board (six sessions total); they received 70 submissions and selected eight finalists. They sought the public’s opinion on which three artists will perform this summer, on two two-hour stretches apiece (the boats have a 49-person capacity and a round-trip usually takes 65 minutes).

Kaiden Leezer

Tickets are available on board, cash only, or online through the official Channel Cat website: www.channelcatqc.com. Daily passes include unlimited rides for the day of activation. Boarding is first come, first served. Please check the QC Channel Cat Facebook page for up-to-the-minute delays and closures due to weather and/or unforeseen scheduled events: https://www.facebook.com/qcchannelcat.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $4 for children (ages 2-10), and free for kids under 2 with an adult.

Mo Carter

River Action talks

River Action’s “Explore the River” series talks are now open for registration. The series runs from May 26th to Aug. 29^th. The Channel Cat talks cost $20 per person or $200 for a season pass, and run Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-10:45 a.m. starting at the Riverbend Commons in Moline.

The Riverine Walks cost $10 per person and are free for members. They are held on Wednesdays from 6:30-8 p.m. and Saturdays from 9-10:30 a.m. at various sites of interest throughout the Quad Cities. View the full program schedule and register at www.riveraction.org/education.

The new Channel Cat Talks this year will include a tour with Colonel Joe Parker, Garrison Commander of the Rock Island Arsenal, along with Patrick Allie, Director of the Rock Island Arsenal Museum, as they discuss the Arsenal’s contributions to national defense and the rich local history surrounding the 946-acre island (May 26 and 28). There also will be a tour called “River Science with the National Weather Service,” presented by Mary-Beth Schreck, NWS Senior Service Hydrologist, and Tim Gross, NWS Meteorologist. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn about the hydrology of the Mississippi River, including some notable floods and how the National Weather Service forecasts river stages along the Mississippi River and its tributaries. They will also learn about some fun facts about the river along the way (June 23 & 25).

This year’s new Riverine Walks will include a prairie tour at Illiniwek Forest Preserve led by Black Hawk College professor Isaac Stewart, who will discuss the importance of preserving pollinators, including the federally endangered Rusty-Patched Bumblebee, which has been sighted locally (July 8 & 11). They will also feature a tour guided by Moline-based filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Emmy Award-winning Fourth Wall Films as they share the compelling true story of eight Mexican-American heroes from Hero Street in Silvis. Only a block and a half long, Second Street in Silvis lost six young men in World War II and two in the Korean War, more than any other street in America (July 22 & 25).

This summer, River Action also will expand its summer education lineup to include presentations specifically catered toward QC youth, called ‘Explore the River: Just for Kids!’ This program aims to bridge the summer learning gap and create unique opportunities for kids to connect with nature, develop a deeper understanding of the place we call home, and become environmental stewards. These presentations for youth are being coordinated directly with local QC youth organizations. Please reach out to River Action if you are involved with a youth organization and would like to learn more.

“Explore the River: Just for Kids!” is sponsored by Scott County Regional Authority, Moline Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club of Davenport, Davenport Noon Optimist Club, Moline Kiwanis Club, and the East Moline Optimist Club.

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Jonathan Turner

Jonathan Turner -- who has called the Quad Cities home since 1995 -- has decades of experience as a professional journalist and pianist. His experience writing for daily newspapers, public radio and local TV encompasses a wide range of subjects, including the arts, politics, education, economic development, historic preservation, business, and tourism.

Jonathan most loves writing about music and the arts (which he now does as a freelancer for the River Cities Reader and Visit Quad Cities). He has a passion for accompanying musicals, singers, choirs and instrumentalists, including playing for QC Music Guild's 2023 productions of RENT and SWEENEY TODD. He is assistant music director and accompanist for the spring 2025 Music Guild show, ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE. He wrote an original musical based on The Book of Job, which premiered at Playcrafters in 2010. Jonathan penned a 175-page history book about downtown Davenport, that was published by The History Press in 2016, and a travel guide about the QC published by Reedy Press in 2022.