The new Raccoon Motel bar and live-music venue plans to open St. Patrick’s Day 2021 at the old Abernathy’s in downtown Davenport, with live music starting in early summer, one of its partners said Wednesday. John McDermott, a Quad-Cities commercial lender who’s friends with original Raccoon Motel music booker Sean Moeller, is partnering with Moeller and Eric Swanson to resurrect the Raccoon – which operated from March 2017-August 2019 at 304 E. 3rd St. (now Devon’s Complaint Dept.), averaging about 150 live shows a year. The new Raccoon already has been selling some new hoodies, stocking... Read More

Despite the Covid crisis, the Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP) — an affiliate of the Quad Cities Chamber – has been very busy for the past eight months. The result of all that work was presented Tuesday afternoon, as DDP executive director Kyle Carter unveiled a new strategic master plan to the Davenport City Council during a public work session. The 110-page plan (led by a New York-based consulting firm) will be added to upcoming city council agendas for further public input, and a vote to accept the final version is expected by December. Carter is most excited about providing hope... Read More

Next time you hop on Amazon to buy something online, consider keeping your money in the Quad-Cities. That’s the thrust of a new campaign from the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, which has launched “Keep It QC,” to bring awareness to the power of doing business locally. According to Chamber representatives, buying local has many tangible economic benefits for the region, in addition to helping area businesses rebound faster from the financial impact of Covid-19. “Keep It QC is about educating members of our community about why buying local should be the first choice every time,” Erin... Read More

Several Quad-Cities cultural organizations and projects were among 176 grants totaling just over $2 million, announced Friday by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs (IDCA), for works in art, film, history, and culture. The funding comes through programs overseen by the department’s divisions: the Iowa Arts Council, the State Historical Society of Iowa and Produce Iowa, the state office of film and media production. “These funds are critical to help sustain arts, film, heritage and cultural vibrancy across the state and showcase Iowa’s world-class cultural programs and destinations with... Read More

Another major Quad-Cities cultural event is biting the dust due to Covid-19. Event organizers from Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP) on Wednesday announced the cancellation of Alternating Currents, originally scheduled for August 27-30, as a regional event across five Quad-Cities downtown areas. Downtown Bettendorf Organization’s (DBO) “Be Downtown” event — in its third year originally re-scheduled from June to coincide with Alternating Currents — also has been canceled. Both organizations are divisions of the Quad Cities Chamber. “In order to keep Quad Citizens and visitors... Read More

Saturday in the Arts is a comprehensive, in-depth feature on a topic, trend or personality impacting the Quad-Cities, posted every Saturday morning on QuadCities.com. This week we look at the various downtown businesses of the Illinois and Iowa Quad-Cities and how they’ve been impacted by, and have adapted to, the covid-19 pandemic.   The popular Rock Island Brewing Company (RIBCO), in the middle of The District at 1815 2nd Ave., has been through a lot since it opened in 1979. Hailed as a leader in Q-C live entertainment (its starry roster of guest acts includes Bo Diddley, The Wallflowers,... Read More