A disgruntled conductor might say leading an orchestra is like herding cats. In a new partnership, the Quad City Symphony Orchestra is bringing an “Instrument Petting Zoo” to Mercado on Fifth in downtown Moline, starting Friday, July 2 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. “The QCSO has been really doubling down on our private lesson effort and group lesson effort,” Marc Zyla, the orchestra’s director of education & community engagement, personnel manager and principal horn player, said Wednesday. The QCSO has partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mississippi Valley, and the weekly... Read More

After a year with no downtown Moline market, Mercado on Fifth is back to bringing its family-friendly festivities starting this Friday, and a new director is excited to expand the market to downtown Davenport. Mercado on Fifth in Moline (5th Avenue in the area of 11th to 12th streets) will run 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. every Friday, June 4 – Sept. 24. The new Mercado en el Rio in Davenport (Quinlan Court, off River Drive between Brady and Perry streets) will run 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. every second Saturday, June through October. Like other canceled events in 2020, many people missed not having Mercado last... Read More

A year after being canceled because of Covid-19, the annual bi-state Red, White and Boom fireworks display in downtown Davenport and Rock Island will return this year and is scheduled for July 3, 2021. Red, White and Boom is the largest fireworks display in the Quad-Cities, shot from two barges in the middle of the Mississippi River. “We are thrilled to welcome people back to the riverfront for our regional celebration of America’s Independence Day,” said Mike Matson, Mayor of Davenport. “Our new Quinlan Court will be open, and activities in Modern Woodmen Park and LeClaire Park are being... Read More

After having to shelve its 2020 season due to Covid, downtown Moline’s Mercado on 5th is gearing up to reopen in June with a new sense of mission and a new leader. Anamaria Rocha, 36, who grew up in Moline’s Floreciente neighborhood, was hired earlier this month as Mercado’s new director. She joins the nonprofit organization, led by co-founder and president Maria Ontiveros, as it prepares for what will be the fifth season of the popular Friday night outdoor markets on 5th Avenue in downtown Moline. “We could not have found a better person for the Mercado at this stage,” Ontiveros... Read More

And on into the summer… We’re looking back at the year that was in arts and entertainment, 2020. Every day between now and New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, we’ll be posting a story painting the big picture on the year, a couple months each day. We hope you enjoy the look back, and let’s all hope for a happy new year and a much, much, much, much better 2021! Here’s the latest installment, part five, months July and August. Iowa and Illinois were both opened up to the public in a limited capacity, and many venues opened to the public — some with social distancing restrictions,... Read More

No doubt about it, these have been some tough times we’ve been going through. But even through all of the negative events going on, there has been some good news, and that’s what we concentrate on here, in our What’s The Good News? column on QuadCities.com and KWQC-TV6’s “Paula Sands Live.” So, what’s the good news for this month? Creature Feature Creeping In The Quad Cities has a new remedy for all that ails them, as Dr. San Guinary brings his Creature Feature T.V. program to the Saturday night airwaves at 11 p.m. starting on July 4th on COZI 6.3. The one-hour program, hosted by... Read More

Mercado on Fifth in Moline has won a big financial boost from the state of Illinois. The five-year-old nonprofit in Moline’s Floreciente neighborhood was approved by Gov. JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) for nearly $500,000 as part of $11 million in state funding for 32 minority-owned businesses and business incubators, from the Minority-Owned Business Capital and Infrastructure Program. These grants will equip minority-owned firms with resources to create jobs, build capacity, increase revenues, and revitalize properties in underserved communities. Mercado’s... Read More

Who is ready for another night of family fun playing Lotería? KWQC’s Montse Ricossa plans to lead the family game via Facebook Live starting at 6 p.m. on Friday May 22. Prizes include both Mercado on Fifth and KWQC swag. Print your cards here and get ready for some fun! https://bit.ly/2QWTuvl If you can’t print at home, they will have some cards available for pickup from 3-6 p.m this Friday at the Mercado Curbside Event at St. John’s Lutheran Church – Rock Island.   For more fun things to do in the Quad Cities this week, check out the latest issue of FUN10QC.  Read More

QuadCities.com proudly presents FUN10, a list of the top 10 things to do in the Quad Cities this week, and every week! Every Sunday, we’ll drop a new FUN10, to give you a head start on your week and a heads up on what’s going on over the coming seven days. Check out FUN10 every Sunday for the details on ten awesome events happening around town. It’s a cool read, and a great way to get started planning your entertainment for the week. As the current health situation in our country continues to force the cancellation of so many regularly scheduled events in the Quad Cities, we are once again... Read More

Despite the Covid crisis, Mercado on Fifth is moving forth in its fifth year, cooking up some very special things. While the Moline-based nonprofit — which works to showcase Hispanic food, culture, and business – may postpone the start of its fifth-annual season, it’s also busy creating its first permanent building and has introduced new programming. In late 2019, Mercado, with real estate development group West Gateway Partners LLC, bought the former Car Shop Inc. at 423 12th St., Moline, next to the organization’s outdoor property. Mercado and West Gateway, both managed by members... Read More