Davenport has decided to cancel Music on the River. The city released the following on its website tonight: After careful consideration of the health and safety of our patrons, along with the uncertainty regarding future distancing guidelines, the Riverfront Improvement Commission has cancelled Music on the River Summer Concert Series 2020 season. Please enjoy the summer while staying safe. We look forward to this wonderful tradition returning in 2021. If you have any questions or concerns please contact Steve Ahrens.  Read More

The Pokey LaFarge concert originally set for Tuesday, June 2, 2020 at 8 PM – 11 PM at Codfish Hollow Barnstormers has been postponed. For more information, see the Codfish Hollow Facebook page.  Read More

Joining Music Guild, Countryside, Genesius Guild and a number of others, Playcrafters Barn Theatre in Moline has canceled their summer shows due to concerns over coronavirus. The pandemic has now nearly wiped clean the local theater slate for the summer, with only Moline’s Black Box Theater not having announced cancellations, and Circa ’21 holding out any hope of salvaging shows, hoping to still be able to stage “Saturday Night Fever” at some point. Playcrafters announced the following on their Facebook page today: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and for the safety... Read More

Countryside Community Theatre has joined the host of area venues canceling their summer slate due to concerns about covid-19. The Eldridge-based group released the following statement on Facebook today: We are sad to announce that our Summer 2020 shows, The Music Man and The Fantasticks, will not be happening this summer due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. The health and safety of our performers, stage crew, musicians, patrons, and volunteers are of the utmost importance to us, and we know that this is the right decision for Countryside Community Theatre. We hope to announce our 2021 Season as soon... Read More

Relatively few Quad-Cities artists and arts organizations have received Covid-19 relief funding from Iowa or Illinois, and both states are proceeding in their next round of grant awards. Illinois Humanities recently gave out 24 emergency relief grants (of $2,500 each) – including the Rock Island-based Midwest Writing Center and Bishop Hill Heritage Association. These general operating (non-project) grants aim to help smaller humanities organizations throughout Illinois to weather the current pandemic. “Especially in this moment of duress, Illinois Humanities is proud to support not-for-profit... Read More

Because of coronavirus, the 36th-annual Ride the River on Father’s Day is canceled, and Davenport-based River Action is substituting a month-long outdoor alternative – “Ride and Seek” – during June. River Action collaborated with both the Scott County and Rock Island County Health Departments and “received support to move forward with social distancing practices to ensure that Ride and Seek accommodates the safety of riders and our community during Covid-19,” according to a release from the environmental organization. From June 1 to 30, you can participate on your own or with your... Read More

Will the Quad-Cities soon be missing one or both of its signature late-night diner spots? Steak n Shake announced today that 51 more of its stores nationwide will be closing up. The company had already closed up 57 restaurants nationwide earlier this year due to financial woes exacerbated by covid-19. The burger chain has two locations in the Quad-Cities — in Moline on 41st Avenue, and in Davenport on 53rd Street — and while no specific restaurants have been named to be closed among those 51, local residents hope the two in the Quad-Cities will keep their doors open. “I hope we... Read More

MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – Last month, Western Illinois University established the WIU Student Emergency Fund to assist its students affected by the ongoing pandemic. To date, more than 2,000 students have received emergency funding. “I want to say thank you for allowing setting up this emergency care fund. I am very grateful for everything Western has done to help me and my fellow students succeed,” said a grant recipient. “I’ve said this in every email and I’m going to say it again, I am incredibly thankful the University offered this and you all really came through and... Read More

MOLINE, IL — COVID-19 may have canceled the in-person celebration, but this year’s four winners of the annual Michaela Romano Scholarship at Western Illinois University are no less worthy winners of the award than their predecessors. The most prestigious honor given by the WIU-QC College of Arts and Sciences, and funded entirely by annual faculty donations, the award has been given each spring since 2009. In 2015, the awards were named in remembrance of Michaela Rae Romano (1988-2015), daughter of Western Illinois University emeritus professors of biology Michael and Susan Romano. A... Read More

Moline’s Spotlight Theatre is continuing their online series of interviews with interesting theatrical artists with a conversation with Noah Brody at 2 p.m. Friday on the Spotlight Facebook page. CST Producing Director Brent Tubbs sits down (virtually) with Noah Brody, an actor, director, writer and teacher. He is a co-artistic director and head of producing for Fiasco Theater in New York City. Noah has co-directed Fiasco’s productions of Into the Woods, Measure for Measure, Twelfth Night and Cymbeline, which received the 2012 Off Broadway Award for best revival. He also won the 2019... Read More