You don’t have to be Irish to feel lucky this Saturday, as downtown Rock Island will celebrate two new events in coordination with the beloved bi-state St. Patrick’s Day Grand Parade.

Rock Island’s Arts Alley (1719 2nd Ave.) is turning into a lucky charm of a social shopping spot Saturday, March 14, for its first Shamrock Market.

From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. just off the St. Patrick’s Day Grand Parade route, pop-up vendors will be serving tasty treats, festive finds and Irish vibes. You can check out:

• Blue Collar Bagels – Fresh, sweet & savory bagels with custom spreads
• Ragged Records & Music – Spinning upbeat tunes all day long
• AWAKE Coffee Company – Keeping you warm and energized for fun
• Flaherty’s Irish Candy – Hot buttered rum & Irish toffee samples

Next door, try a Lucky Charms Martini at Icons Martini, 124 18^th St., or take a fun photo in front of the storefront display at After Image Boutique, 1700 2^nd Ave. After the parade, patrons may enjoy live music at The Smoking Dog Pub, 1800 2^nd Ave.

Free parking is available in the lot to the north of Arts Alley at 1st Avenue and 17th Street.

The Rock Island Downtown Alliance is also presenting the Shamrock Showcase on Saturday, inviting the community to show their Irish spirit, wear a touch of green and support downtown businesses alongside the St. Patrick Society of the Quad Cities’ 40^th annual Grand Parade.

The parade officially kicks off at 11:30 a.m. at the intersection of 4^th Avenue and 23^rd Street, but fun for all ages starts bright and early and continues all day – long after the last bagpipe passes.

The parade will travel through downtown Rock Island, across the Mississippi River via the Talbot/Centennial Bridge to West 3^rd Street and proceed east through downtown Davenport, along a route to the RiverCenter at 3^rd and Perry Streets. The Post-Parade Bash will take place at the RiverCenter from 1 to 4 p.m.

From authentic Irish fare and St. Pat’s drink specials to live music, hands-on crafts and leprechaun photo ops, participating businesses throughout downtown Rock Island will offer festive ways to celebrate the holiday beyond the parade route.

“This is one of those special dates we circle on the calendar each year in Downtown Rock Island, and our businesses are showing up in a big way for the community,” Jack Cullen, executive director of the Downtown Alliance, said in a recent release. “There’s even more cause for celebration this year as one of our own – Jeff Rusk of Steve’s Old Time Tap and Looney’s Little Chicago – is Grand Marshal of the Parade.”

Participating businesses will be:

• Awake Coffee Company
• Bev’s Yarn Barn
• Big T Wear
• Blue Collar Bagels
• Brews Energy
• Brick and Motor Boutique
• Flaherty’s Irish Candy Co. (Arts Alley)
• Icons Martini
• La Flama Food Truck (Arts Alley)
• La Flama Mexican Restaurant
• Lavish Salon & Spa
• Looney’s Little Chicago
• NEST Café
• Painted Dragon Face Painting (Arts Alley)
• Polish Pub
• QC Coffee and Pancake House
• QC Farmers Market
• Quad City Arts
• Ragged Records and Music
• Refined Fit Lab
• Rock Island Ale House
• Rock Island Brewing Company
• Skeleton Key Art and Antiques
• STEAM on Wheels
• Steve’s Old Time Tap
• The Speakeasy
• The Stern Center

Full details on the event are available at www.downtownrockisland.org/shamrock.

Please leave this field empty

Free Breaking News
Alerts & Daily Digest
In Your Inbox!

Check your inbox to confirm your subscription.

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.