Looking for some Labor Day weekend fun? Well, there will be no shortage of excitement and entertainment downtown Rock Island! The 2017 Xtreme Rock Island Grand Prix will be taking place downtown Rock Island Sep 1-3. The Rock Island Grand Prix is the world’s largest and most prestigious go-karting street race! Powered by Mediacom, this ultimate experience in kart racing will exhilarate racers and spectators alike. This family friendly event does not charge any admission fees. In addition to karts racing around at speeds approaching 100 mph, there will be a car show and food vendors Saturday and... Read More

Calling all little conductors! All aboard the Quad City Botanical Center train! In partnership with the Heartland Central Railroad Club, this year’s annual Little Conductor’s Day will be taking place on Sunday Aug 27 from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Quad City Botanical Center. General admission fees or membership access apply to this event. No reservations are required. From 1-3 p.m. there will be crafts and activities. Train-related vendors will also be onsite with items for purchase. Conductors from the Heartland Central Railroad Club will be running their trains in the Railroad Garden for... Read More

In theory, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers has an unflinchingly chauvinistic  premise; Adam Pontiphee decides that he’s going to marry Milly. He proposes right after meeting her. He brings her up to his homestead in the mountains of Oregon in 1850. He neglects to mention that he’s got six other younger brothers, and that she’ll have to cook, clean, and mend clothing for all of them. But he baits her with romance and switches to that. Add to that, his six younger brothers actively kidnap six other young women from town in order to take them as brides. So why does Seven Brides for Seven Brothers... Read More

The Speakeasy in downtown Rock Island is excited to welcome back Bottoms Up Burlesque to the stage this weekend with two all new shows!  On Friday night the members of the recently completed Bottoms Up school of Burlesque will be showcasing what they have learned in their very own show!  On Saturday, the show cast returns with all the performers you love in a show like never before – Burlesque Roulette!  The performers won’t have idea what number they will be performing to until the show emcee spins the wheel to determine their song.  “We are really excited about these two shows” said... Read More

How would you like to re-live your high school prom? How about dressed as a zombie? The Factory of Fear and Terror at Skellington Manor will be hosting their 2nd annual Zombie Prom Quad Cities at Skellington Manor (420 18th St Rock Island) on Saturday, July 22. From 8 p.m. – 1 a.m. you can enjoy the same excitement and entertainment from your youth, with a ghoulish twist! Zombie Prom does require you to dress as frightening and shocking as you can. If needed, zombie makeovers will be available for a $10 donation. Tickets prices vary depending on which package you choose, and can be purchased... Read More

Time to stir up the Gumbo again. Gumbo Ya Ya,  Mardi Gras in The District, returns to downtown Rock Island Saturday, June 10, bringing the atmosphere of New Orleans to the Quad-Cities for its 25th consecutive year. A variety of New Orleans style music will be performed over the weekend including zydeco, blues, and more. Louisiana style food will also be available through various vendors and a “French Quarter” marketplace will offer gifts and novelty items. Over 500 pounds of beads will be thrown to the masses by everyone from cajun cooks to musicians to people dressed as vampires. The cost... Read More

It is said that laughter is the best medicine. Laughter reduces pain, increases job performance, connects people emotionally, and improves the flow of oxygen to the heart and brain. How about combining laughter and running? Brilliant! Gilda’s Club of the Quad Cities is hosting the 2017 Gilda’s Run for Laughs this Saturday, April 22. This year’s 5K and 1 mile Fun Run theme is 80’s Rock, so get ready to come rock out and run in your favorite 80’s gear! Comedy Sportz will also be providing “professionally funny cheerleaders” along the route to help bring the laughter! The cost of the... Read More

The imaginative, quirky and vibrantly eclectic artworks of Sara Holtz are sprouting on the walls at Taste Buds, 150 16 ½ St., Rock Island, through April 27. Holtz utilizes a wide array of found objects and different textures in her mixed media art, including metalware, fabrics, stones, plastics and even ground spices. She has had her artworks exhibited at Star Dog and Bucktown and this is her first solo exhibit. A Taste of Q-C Art showcases various local artists and, through a sponsorship with QuadCities.com, allows them to keep 100 percent of their sales – Taste Buds takes no commission on... Read More

Circa ‘21’s “The Music Man” is a triumphant success. It’s a magnificent show, brilliant on so many levels, and is easily the best show I’ve seen in 2017… so far. Now, anyone who has followed me over the years knows that I’m not especially a fan of some of the “classic” musicals. They tend to be anachronistic and ridiculous in parts and borderline offensive in others if you actually look beyond the catchy tunes and pay attention to what’s going on. “The Music Man” is a notable exception to this. It’s got its racist and sexist elements that are certainly of its time, and... Read More

Now into it’s third week at Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse in downtown Rock Island, THE MUSIC MAN is charming audiences and critics alike!  “We’ve had wonderful response to the show” said Brett Hitchcock – Director of Audience Development. Local critics have also enjoyed this delightful musical with such comments as “Music Man was Terrific” River Cities Reader; “The Music Man is a thrilling ride on board a veritable American (and Iowan) classic” Dispatch/Argus; and “Circa ‘21’s The Music Man is a triumphant success” quadcities.com. The... Read More