The Pokeballs are about to get Harry. And if you want to get your wand atwitter, don’t Hermione your own business, use your sorting hat to make sure your plans for Saturday night include you slytherin over to the Speakeasy, 1828 3rd Ave., Rock Island, because I dumble-dare you to ravenclaw your way to Show Us Your Pokeballs new Harry Potter-themed show at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door and you can make them magically appear ahead of time by calling 786-7733, ext. 2. So what made the idea of a Harry Potter-themed show magically appear in the heads of Pokeballs organizers,... Read More

Yah mon, it be time for 25! The sweet taste of Rasta lemonade, the sunny sounds of island music and the scenes and scents of colorful Jamaica will permeate the Rock Island District Aug. 19-20 as YaMaka My Weekend bounces in for its 25th year of exotic fun. The festival has enjoyed a hearty and hale run, continuing to draw crowds of all ages downtown for the late summer weekend, and its more than two decade run of fun is attributed to a number of factors. It’s a bit of a staycation for locals, it’s usually during a time of terrific weather, and it’s always fun to experience the tropics in... Read More

Gotta catch ‘em all, gotta drink . . . some of ‘em, or you’re going to be chucking up your Pikachu. Pokemon Go has brought out people by the thousands trying to catch wild Pokemon, to the point where some people (who shall remain unnamed) have turned it into a drinking game, and now, some other people (who are about to be named) are going to turn it into a pub crawl. The first annual Q-C Pokemon Go pub crawl, sponsored by Scum City Clothing Co., is taking place from 9 p.m. to midnight Saturday beginning at LeClaire Park in Davenport and rolling through the local taverns downtown. According... Read More

It’s taken over a decade for 3 Years Hollow to become an “overnight sensation,” and they’re hoping the years in the trenches have prepped them for a long run of success. After forming in 2001 and slogging through various roster changes and dingy club gigs, the act began to take off in 2008, after solidifying its line-up with Jose Urquiza on lead vocals, Tony Reeves on guitar, Neil Kuhlman on guitar and vocals, Dex Digga on bass and Chris Cushman on drums. Since then, 3 Years Hollow has steadily grown its fan base, touring regionally and opening for acts from Buckcherry to Papa Roach. And... Read More

The sky’s the limit on the new Family Museum play area. Literally. The Sky’s the Limit is the Museum’s brand-new, aviation-themed, outdoor play structure open now for visitors to the museum, 2900 Learning Campus Drive, Bettendorf. The Sky’s the Limit was designed by Cunningham Recreation of Ankeny, Iowa. Ground broke for the renovation on May 31, 2016. The exhibit resembles an airplane and invites children to fly or ride to wherever their imaginations take them. This one-of-a-kind installation includes steps resembling luggage, seats for pilot and co-pilot, and a wheelchair accessible glider. The... Read More

From pageant queens to trailer races, from tractor pulls to live music, the Rock Island County Fair has been offering outdoor entertainment for 147 years. This year’s fair, running Tuesday, July 19 through Saturday, July 23, is expected to draw more than 40,000 people for a livestock show, arts and craft shows, rides, and live entertainment to the fairgrounds at 4200 Archer Ave., East Moline. Kids Day is Wednesday, July 20 from 1 to 5 p.m. Children can check out a Kiddie tractor pull in the QC International Airport’s Family Tent at 1 p.m., a Robotics demonstration in the QC International... Read More

There are few comfort foods as fulfilling and joyful as grilled cheese. So if you’re looking for a gouda time, trying to sandwich in a good meal, and want to pick up something that you’re not going to have to have to take a provolone out for that’s going to cost you a lot of cheddar, you’re going to want to check out the new food truck in the Quad-Cities – Static Melt. Static Melt, run by Dan Bush, 33, and Drake Deregules, 25, of Davenport, debuted Wednesday night to huge response, offering a mouth-watering menu of five grilled cheese sandwiches, and watching as dozens of people lined... Read More

The savory scents of pork chops comingled with the sweet smells of kettle corn as country music lilted on a summer breeze and children bopped between gleaming trucks and tractors tremendous times their size on a fun Thursday opening day of the Walcott Truckers Jamboree. The 37th annual event runs through Saturday at the I-80 Truck Stop in Walcott. Admission and parking are free. Shuttles will be provided from the parking area to the event grounds. And on opening day, a shuttle wasn’t a bad idea, as cars were lined up down the street and off the highway to get into the packed parking lot and... Read More

Local label Cartouche Records will deliver a cool sonic one-two punch this weekend with a pair of new albums, Devin Frank, “The Vanishing Blues” and Chrash, “Things My Friends Say,” which will hit stores and online music spots on July 15. Both acts were featured in last weekend’s live showcase at Daytrotter and played to appreciative crowds. Frank is a former member of Iowa indie rock band Poison Control Center.  “The Vanishing Blues” is his first solo album.  Chrash is a Quad-Cities mainstay featuring Chris Bernat of the hugely successful ‘90s indie rock band Tripmaster Monkey. ... Read More

It’s pretty rare to attend a convention that features programs on My Little Pony, how to write erotic fiction about cartoon characters and the etiquette of attending raves, but then again, there are few events as unique as QC Anime-zing! The seventh annual three-day festival celebrating Japanese anime and all related fandoms, communities, and arts invades the Davenport RiverCenter this weekend, kicking off on Friday with an explosion of costumed characters, sci-fi and fantasy merchandise and imaginative diversions of the mind and body. Autograph sessions, panels, workshops, concerts, social... Read More