A second large bar in downtown Rock Island is closing its doors. Just weeks after Billy Bob’s shut down, The Black Sheep Pub is closing. Owner Shawn Cirlos posted on social media that he’d been losing $30,000 a month due to covid and the city’s 1 a.m.curfew for bars in the downtown. Cirlos added that he’ll be relocating his employees to his businesses in Davenport and is considering a potential opening for The Black Sheep at a new location across the river. Cirlos also posted that he’s selling the location on the bar’s facebook page: FOR SALE !! We are... Read More

The 2020 presidential election is less than two weeks away. Are you ready to vote? Better question: Do you have a ride to cast your ballot? According to data from the 2016 Survey of the Performance of American Elections, more than 15 million eligible voters didn’t make it to the polls during the last election because they had no way of getting there. But IHMVCU wants to help change that. From October 26 through November 3, IHMVCU will pay the fees for its members to use local buses, cabs, Lyft and Uber services to get to the polls. Just keep your receipt and turn it in to IHMVCU to be reimbursed... Read More

The second Rock Island Public Library/Augustana College Frieze Lecture, Tip of the Iceberg: Understanding the Bigger Picture of Pandemic Disease Severity with Dr. Rebecca Heick has been rescheduled to Thursday, November 5 at 2:00 pm via Zoom. Though the rising toll of COVID deaths is a major focus of concern and intervention, Dr. Heick’s remarks will note that mortality is just the tip of the iceberg. Less severe, but perhaps long-lasting, disease and after-effects of infection are much more common. As an assistant professor of public health at Augustana, Heick will consider the bigger prevention... Read More

Possibly the greatest GIF in the history of the young digital artform has been brought into existence and gained sentience. A short captured clip of a ravenous and behatted Khalil Hacker devouring donuts with violent bravado, has been captured for the enjoyment and enlightenment of humanity and the sharing of online residents by one Douglas Kutzli, Esq. Gaze upon its wonder, and marvel at its existence, humanity. In these troubling times, we need a light, a beacon of hope, and this GIF, of young Rock Island man Khalil, eating donuts, could very well be that hope. At least that’s what Morpheus... Read More

Quad City Arts will launch its collection of online educational materials, called the Visiting Artist Series Educational Resources, this Wednesday. The website, found at https://www.quadcityarts.com/vas-educational-resources.html, offers exclusive content from professional artists and ensembles, such as ballet fusion company Hiplet, pianist Barron Ryan, steel pan artist John Patti, Mexican folk/rock quartet Jarabe Mexicano, and National Players theatre company. Their contributions include brief demonstration videos, study guides, workshop-style videos, and more. This collection of resources stands... Read More

Kelly and Tammy Rundle of Moline-based Fourth Wall Films are certainly hoping the fifth time is the charm. After four previous nominations for Mid-America Emmy Awards (but no wins), the veteran documentary filmmakers received three more last week for their first docudrama, “Sons & Daughters of Thunder,” and another for their documentary “Becoming Harriet Beecher Stowe.” The Emmy awards (for TV broadcasts mainly in Missouri, Arkansas and Illinois outside Chicago) will be announced on Nov. 21 in an online ceremony. “We believe in the films and we’re glad the Emmy judges believe... Read More

There are awards, and there are VERY SPECIAL awards. Honors, even. And this weekend, Quad-Cities actor/musician/bon vivant Doug Kutzli was verily bestowed with one of the greatest honors that could be graced upon a local performer. Upon a search for “donuts near you,” Mr. Kutzli’s performer page came up, thus putting him in rarified company as the ONLY Quad-Cities entertainer thus dubbed as AN OFFICIAL DONUT NEAR YOU. This is the first time any local entertainer has come close to gaining such a status since actor, singer, and cocksman Russell Lee was handed the Aunt Connie’s... Read More

Are you a local artist looking for a spot to exhibit? Would you like to exhibit in one of the most popular gallery spots in the area? Get your submission ready for Quad City Arts! Quad City Arts invites artists residing within a 250-mile radius of Rock Island, IL to submit a proposal for a gallery exhibition during 2021-22. Selected artists will be paired with one or two additional artists for a 2-month long exhibition between July 2021 through August 2022 in one of our two large exhibit spaces. Cohesive bodies of work are highly desired. All media will be considered. To enter, go to QuadCityArts.com... Read More

Saturday In The Arts is a weekly look at a personality, place, trend or topic of interest to the Quad-Cities. It runs every Saturday morning on your site for fun, free, local entertainment and features, QuadCities.com. Already, 2020 has been an American horror story like no other, but apparently some people still long to be scared some more – during a haunted house season like no other. The Covid-19 crisis also has upended many other traditional Halloween activities. Coronavirus – which has caused 9,663 deaths in Illinois and 1,617 in Iowa (as of Oct. 23) — has led Illinois to become... Read More

The Quad City Botanical Center is hosting NOT SO SCARY HALLOWEEN WALK on FRIDAY NIGHTS 10.23 and 10.30 at 6:30 PM, 7:00 PM, 7:30 PM, 8:00 PMTickets MUST be purchased in advance due to limited capacity. Details at qcgardens.com.Dress up your little ghosts and goblins for our annual Not So Scary Halloween Walk. Bring your flashlights and explore the nooks and crannies of the Sun Garden to search for spiders, bats, jack-o-lanterns and toads as you wander down the darkened pathways. Get a glimpse of the Halloween train in our popular train garden. It’s not so scary in our gardens, making this event... Read More