You can be a hero by helping a good cause this weekend while also getting your 5K on – in costume. The Superhero 5K will be held 7 a.m. to noon Saturday beginning at Veterans Memorial Park, 1645 23rd St, Bettendorf. Tickets and more info are available at www.gigisplayhouse.com. This event includes a 5K run, 1-Mile Walk, and Dash for Down Syndrome, as well as music, food and drink, games and more. The 5K is a timed run. The top female and male runners will be recognized. The top 25 runners will receive medals.

The Kids Dash is an extension of the walk. If your child wants to particpate in... Read More

Dee Schricker and Heidi Brandt will be celebrating 10 years of exhibiting their art at Bucktown. Both artists started by renting an 8’ x 12’ wall space in one of the first galleries at Bucktown. They were outgrowing their exhibit area so Dee rented a gallery that became available and offered Heidi space. Dee has since leased four galleries at Bucktown, two being co-owned with Heidi. They currently own and operate the Boho Chic Gallery offering contemporary art for home and office. The artists will hold a ribbon cutting Friday at 5:30, Sept. 30 followed by an open house from 6 to 9 p.m. The... Read More

Just in time for October, here come the Oktoberfests. Front Street Brewery, one of the best and longest-tenured area brew pubs in the Quad-Cities, rolls out their fest this weekend, Friday and Saturday at its venue at 421 W. River Drive. There’s free admission to the event so come down to the Freight House parking lot and enjoy German food, games, costume contest, music, dancing, face painting, and of course, beer. Here’s the schedule of events: Front Street Oktoberfest schedule Friday, September 30th 5:00pm – 11:00pm – Food
Double “H” Entertainment Saturday, October... Read More

There’s something fun, relaxed, goofy and familiar about the Quad Cities Lip Sync battles that’s utterly charming, which is why, if you haven’t done so already, you really should check one of them out. This weekend, the regular gigs at the Rock Island Speakeasy return, and if you’re looking for something fun and light to do, make the trip. I checked out the last Lip Sync event and not only wasn’t disappointed, but was, honestly, surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The show, for sake of familiarity and comparison, posits itself as similar gigs to those on Spike TV and “The Tonight Show... Read More

Hey, when it comes to festivals involving beer and food, it’s hard to mess with the Irish and the Germans. And I say this as someone who is very Irish and part German. And as someone who might be making his way to Kavanaugh’s Hilltop this weekend for their first Oktoberfest celebration Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. at Kavanaugh’s Hilltop, 1228 30th St, Rock Island. That night Kavanaugh’s/Rolling Smoke goes German with its debut Oktoberfest celebration in College Hill. Brats and other German fare and select Oktoberfest beers will be on sale all day/night, and live music will be provided... Read More

Join Bucktown Center for the Arts (225 E. 2nd St., Davenport) as it launches “A Brief History of Bucktown: Davenport’s Infamous District Transformed,” a new book (published by The History Press) written by Jonathan Turner, arts and entertainment reporter for The Dispatch and Rock Island Argus. Copies of “A Brief History of Bucktown” will be available for purchase in the Boho Chic Gallery on Final Friday, Sept. 30, from 6 to 9 p.m. when Jonathan will host a book signing during Bucktown’s wine walk. An exhibit featuring Bucktown-themed artifacts (on loan from the German American... Read More

Are you ready for the greatest Beer Festival in the Quad Cities?  Bierstube hosts two weekends of Oktoberfest on September 30/October 1 and October 7/8.  Dig out those lederhosen and head down to the Stube for traditional German beer, food, games, prizes and live music direct from Austria. Don’t forget to stop by Moline’s new open air market, Mercado on Fifth, on September 30 and October 8.  Shop for healthy produce and unique items, learn about the culture of the area and even watch a movie on their outdoor patio.  The Mercado will be open from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. every Friday... Read More

It’s usually a bad thing when you get a run in your hose, but this weekend, running in an event named after hose will lead to a lot of good things, charity-wise. The Lederhosen 5k will be held on Saturday, Oct. 1 at Schwiebert Riverfront Park in downtown Felsen Insel (Rock Island). People are encouraged to dress up for the run/walk in your best lederhosen or dirndl. There’s even a half-mile fun run called the Kinderlauf for the kids. Afterwards there will be a Oktoberfest Post-Race Party from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. supported by City Limits Saloon & Grill and Euclid Beverages with German... Read More

You’ve heard of Bonnaroo, this weekend you’ll get to experience Bonnieroo. The benefit for Bonnie Elkins will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday at The Mound, 1029 Mound St., Davenport. Bonnie Elkins was diagnosed with small lymphocytic lymphoma Stage 4 with bone marrow involvement. Throughout her struggle with cancer she has lost her job and is in need of your help. Her daughters, Tara and Lela, are holding the benefit. Bonnieroo 2016 will feature music performed by Winterland, The Dawn, The Low Down, Zach Harris and The 3rd Street Villains. There will be benefit raffles, 50/50 drawing and... Read More

Pretty much everything I loved as a pre-teen (and that I continue to love) has been wrapped up into one band called Magic Sword, which will perform with opening acts Idpyramid and Alex Body from 7 to 11 p.m. Thursday at Daytrotter, 324 Brady St., Davenport. Advance tickets to the show are just $5. Magic Sword is a combination of Daft Punk, John Carpenter, Dungeons and Dragons culture, Tron, comic books, progressive rock, synth pop and more. But hey, don’t just believe me. Truly, they need to be seen rather than described. To hear tracks off their Legend EP, click here: https://soundcloud.com/magic-sword. To... Read More