Developing the next stage of reading is the goal of a Rocket into Reading event for ages 5 through 8 at the Rock Island Public Library onThursday, September 27. The free event is 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Downtown Library, 401 19th Street. Rocket into Reading is aimed at the learning needs of children in Kindergarten through 3rd grades. Launch the reader in your home with super sports-themed fun and the gift of a free book and sports bag. The event includes free sports games, crafts, and activity stations designed to improve skills and interest in reading. Rocket into Reading is the next stage... Read More

The All Senses Festival is back for a 2nd year! This year’s sensory-satisfying festival will kick off on Tuesday Sep 25 and continue through Sunday Sep 30. All Senses Festival is a collaboration of several ongoing artistic endeavors combined under one umbrella: music, spoken word, film, an antique, craft and art fair, and much more. The festival incorporates multiple venues on both sides of the Mississippi River, taking place at The Figge Art Museum (225 W 2nd St. Davenport), Rock Island Brewing Company (1812-14 2nd Ave. Rock Island) and Rozz-Tox (2108 3rd Ave. Rock Island) over six days. Check... Read More

By Amanda Jo Payne Excitement Fills the room as the lights dim. The referee takes the stage and another round of Comedy Sportz kicks off an amazing evening of improv genius at The Establishment Theatre located in the District of Rock Island, IL. These shows are rated “E” for everyone. But after each Friday and Saturday night show, they present an adult performance that shares the same audience interaction and guaranteed laughter. The Bandwagon is a show where the actors have instruments that they actually play to create their made-up tunes. Audience involvement is a key point to improv,... Read More

You feel them before you see them. It’s impossible not to get up and dance to the beat when they are around. I’m talking about the Metropolitan Youth Program Drill Team! And it’s time for a Drill Team Showdown! Join the Metropolitan Youth Program this Saturday Sep 22 from 10 – 11 a.m. for a Family Fun Parade! The parade will begin at Frances Willard School (2503 9th St. Rock Island) and travel down 9th Street to the Martin Luther King Center (630 9th St. Rock Island). The fun then continues as the Metropolitan Youth Program hosts the annual Drill Team Showdown, Battle@TheRock! Head to Rock... Read More

In 1974, pianist Barbara Nissman visited Quad City area schools, beginning a tradition that later became Quad City Arts’ Visiting Artist Series. The 2018-2019 Visiting Artist Series brings ten artists and ensembles to visit the Quad Cities region from September 2018 through March 2019.  These artists will perform over 200 engagements to audiences in local K-12 schools, colleges, and a variety of community sites, including local libraries, churches, senior centers and public concert venues across six counties and two states. The season begins with a collaborative program by hip-hop artist Christylez... Read More

Officials with Jumer’s Casino & Hotel in Rock Island are excited about recent recognition from Casino Player Magazine. Jumer’s won 16 overall awards, including Best Hotel in its annual reader’s poll. According to a release from Jumer’s, Casino Player Magazine is America’s largest gaming publication and annually conducts a Best of Gaming poll of its readers. The 2018 Best of Gaming results were published in the magazine’s September edition. Readers voted Jumer’s first place in 4 separate categories for the Chicagoland region, which includes all Illinois casinos, as well... Read More

‘Laugh your way across the country and all the way down the aisle’ at the newest production to hit the Circa ’21 stage! Mama Won’t Fly, a Jones Hope Western Comedy, will be in production at Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 3rd Avenue Rock Island) from Sep 21 through Nov 3, with Preview Performances on Sep 19 and 20. An outrageously hilarious race against the clock begins when Savannah Sprunt Fairchild Honeycutt agrees to get her feisty mother all the way from Alabama to California in time for her brother’s wedding. Savannah’s problem: Mama won’t fly. With only four days... Read More

The Frog and the Princess by Brandon Roberts will be presented in the Brunner Mainstage Theatre within the Brunner Theatre Center at Augustana College, 639 38th St., Rock Island at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 15-16. To reserve your tickets, call the ticket office at 309-794-7306.  Read More

Congrats to the top five comics moving on in the Speakeasy’s comedy competition, sponsored by QuadCities.com! These five are the winners from this past Saturday – Michael Maxwell, Matthew Jacobsen, Beckett Kenny, Al Nimpson and Stevie Mo – making it through a round of 16.   The second prelim round is at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Speakeasy, 1818 3rd Ave., Rock Island. The event will have comics coming from across the Midwest to compete!   For tickets and more information, call (309) 786-7733, ext. 2.  Read More

Check out some of the incredible events for adults, teens, and children happening at the Rock Island Public Library in the second week of September. The super line up of events for Sept. 10-17 includes: Coffee and a Movie Morning, 9:30 am, Monday, Sept. 10, Rock Island Downtown Library, 401 19th Street. See the classic adventure tale by Stephen Spielberg featuring Indiana Jones, the globe-hopping archeologist. In this first installment of film franchise, our hero is trying to outrun a group of Nazis searching for the Ark of the Covenant. Free movie and coffee. Small Business and Non-Profit Website... Read More