At Quad City Arts in Rock Island, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, as the 35th anniversary of Festival of Trees will look different this year, but the holiday magic will continue in a whole new way. Kaleigh Trammell is in her second year of coordinating Festival of Trees at Quad City Arts, and while the focus for the first time will be online and on TV, there also will be a gift shop and window displays at the Rock Island Gallery from Nov. 21 to 29. “It has been a challenge,” she said recently. “When we made this decision, we were trying to look ahead to what November was going... Read More

Regina Catholic High School are the Iowa Class A State Football Champions! The Regals defeated Grundy Center 52 -28 in a lopsided game which saw them up 31-7 at half before cruising to the title. According to the school’s Facebook page, Regina Catholic Education Center seeks to build a school community where learners grow in knowledge, self-esteem, spirituality, respect for others, and a sense of social responsibility. The school welcomes students and families of all religious backgrounds. Regina, a K-12 center, provides challenging learning instruction in a caring, faith-focused... Read More

Many cities nationwide are grappling with systemic issues of racial equity, justice and inclusion — and the Quad-Cities made a major step Thursday in its own multi-pronged effort. Led by United Way Quad Cities, over 300 people participated in the Zoom event, Courageous Conversations: Equity in Action. It included a community report from United Way’s Oct. 15 Equity Summit, addressing key issues, strategies and priorities identified during last month’s small-group conversations. Thursday also  introduced United Way’s Equity Investment Panel, which will oversee distribution of up to $200,000... Read More

The Quad Cities Community Foundation is targeting the persistent racial disparities that impact the social and economic well-being of Quad Citizens of color with a $50,000 Transformation Grant to United Way. The grant will bolster efforts to reduce inequities across education, income and health systems in the Quad Cities. “We know that strong communities are ones that embrace increased diversity and the powerful assets that diversity brings,” said Sherry Ristau, president and CEO of the Quad Cities Community Foundation. “The Quad Cities is a wonderful place to live, and like other cities,... Read More

The Mandela Effect is coming to Gypsy Highway, 2606 W. Locust St., Davenport, making their area debut! Please make welcome for their first appearance at The Gypsy Highway, The Mandela Effect from Cedar Rapids Iowa. The Mandela Effect plays a wide variety of classic and timeless tunes from the 60s, 70s, 80s and beyond. We play songs you’ll remember, but not the way you remember them! Some of our favorite bands to cover are The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Cream, Blind Faith, The Doors, WAR, Dr. Hook, Savoy Brown, Bill Withers, Billy Preston, George Benson, The Police, ZZ Top... Read More

Tiphanie Cannon, owner of Oh So Sweet by Tiphanie in downtown Davenport, was the perfect pick to be a main speaker Wednesday morning for the Quad Cities Chamber AMp Up meeting (held virtually). She’s not only found creative ways to cope and thrive during the Covid-19 pandemic, Cannon has shown enormous heart by making hundreds of lunches this week for overworked medical staff at UnityPoint Health – Trinity and Genesis hospitals. Originally planned as an “Adopt a Nurse” program, she asks customers to spend $10 per employee, for Oh So Sweet to make and deliver individually boxed lunches consisting... Read More

Teen Anime Day is going virtual Saturday, November 21 from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm on Zoom! Register here: https://davenportlibrary.libcal.com/event/7196938 The annual Teen Anime Day is going virtual! All Teens ages 11-19 are invited to register for a special Teen Anime Day To Go activity kit and to attend a special Zoom party with the Davenport Public Library, the Figge Art Museum and special guest, “JAPANNA” anna ito, founder at Japan Shinzen Art and Culture International! Each Teen Anime Day To Go kit will include cups of ramen, tea, and candy sushi supplies plus some simple crafts, drawing... Read More

Quad-Cities stores are far from flush with toilet paper. With new covid-19 restrictions in place for the Iowa and Illinois Quad-Cities, toilet paper is flying off the shelves again in local stores, although other staple food and supply items seem to be remaining stable on shelves. A visit to six area locations — two Targets, a Walmart, a Sam’s Club, and two HyVee stores — showed that shelves are barren in some, but still in ok shape in others. Iowa side stores seem to be in more of a frenzy, given Governor Kim Reynolds’ proclamations and immediate restrictions put in place... Read More

A maid’s song in Jacob Bancks’s new opera “Karkinos” has painfully relevant lyrics – “Slowly, slowly, what is your hurry? Little by little the bird builds a nest. Patience obtains all things. Sooner or later a seedling will climb. Wait, and all that has life will flourish in time.” Patience is certainly what we all need in the Covid era, as the premiere of “Karkinos” – a collaboration between the Quad City Symphony Orchestra and Living Proof Exhibit – again has been delayed, until February 2022. The opera, penned by Bancks (an Augustana associate professor of music), was first... Read More

We are bringing the magic of Festival to you this year! Tune into the Festival of Trees Holiday Special on KWQC-TV6 on November 21 at 10 am to kick off the season with us. This first-ever Festival experience will include CenterStage performances, Festival memories, and interviews – plus, a chance to learn more about how you can make a difference by supporting Festival of Trees Day of Giving. And of course, hear a message from Santa himself! Spread holiday cheer by supporting the arts and making a gift to the Festival of Trees Day of Giving campaign. Festival of Trees provides funding support... Read More