It’s St. Patrick’s Day, and we’re hoping you’re getting your Irish on today and throughout this week as festivities o’ the green have been rolling last weekend through this coming weekend. However, that’s no surprise, and that pot of gold of events at the Quad-Cities end of the rainbow has been noticed on a national level. This week, SafeCo Insurance and HomeInsurance.com analytics released a list of the the top 15 U.S. cities with the highest percentages of Irish descendants to join in their St. Patrick’s Day parades – and the Quad-Cities comes in at number 14. Number one? Butte-Silver... Read More

The idea behind live theatre is to bring forth a form of art that captivates an audience allowing them to escape the monotony of daily life and immerse them in a new story. A successful creation brings out any and all emotion with a desire to leave an audience with an experience that lasts and connects with them on any level they deem necessary. In the QC Theatre Workshop’s production of “The Big Meal”, written by Dan LeFranc, these qualities are prevalent in rare form, leaving the daunting task of turning thoughts and emotions into words. The story itself leaves very little room for explanation... Read More

Davenport’s QC Theatre Workshop is serving up a “big meal” for its first gig of 2016. The group is presenting the local premiere of Dan LeFranc’s acclaimed comedy/drama “The Big Meal,” with shows running at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 4-5, 11-12 and 18-19, and 3 p.m. March 6, 13 and 20. Doors open a half hour before each performance, and due to the play’s adult themes and language, parental guidance is recommended. An epic presentation following the personal journeys of four generations of family members, LeFranc’s 2011 work was called “sharp and stunning,... Read More

Zipping around the track in a savage ballet, following intuitive patterns as their bodies crash into each other, the women engage, again and again. Muscles sore, sweat dripping from their skin, they push hard, ever forward, a tangle of arms and legs, as through the cacophony, two lithe figures weave between the jigsaw of effort, until they reach an open space, and they sprint, faster, faster, on four wheels driven by long legs, luscious machines of fury. This, is roller derby. This, Quad Cities Rollers Roller Derby, will open its tenth season this weekend with a tough opening bout that welcomes... Read More

Looking to take in some hard-hitting, fast-moving Mallards hockey action in the fun, family-friendly I Wireless center? Even better, looking to do it FOR FREE? Then QuadCities.com has got the contest for you! We’re giving away some great prizes including a seat on the Mallards Bench During Pre-Game Warm-Ups for the Friday, February 26th game versus Rapid City AND four glass seats for the Saturday, February 27th game versus Rapid City. The contest will run through Thursday, February 25 with winners randomly chosen and notified on February 26! Here’s the deal: Check out our contest page at http://www.QuadCities.com/mallards/.... Read More

Three Quad Cities-area Toastmasters clubs are hosting an open house to give people an opportunity to learn more about how the organization can help hone communication and leadership skills. Quad Cities Advanced Toastmasters, Quad Cities Executive Toastmasters, and Moline Toastmasters are co-sponsoring the event, which starts at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 20 at Newcomb Presbyterian Church in Davenport. The event will feature all the components of a typical Toastmasters meeting, including 5-7 minute speeches, evaluations, and exercises in extemporaneous speaking, known in most Toastmasters clubs as... Read More

At this year’s Super Bowl parties, one of the hottest food items is going to be a “souper bowl.” “What’s really hot this year is multiple soups, with people bringing different soups, one person brings a lobster bisque, another brings a chicken noodle, and so on, and the host provides the bowls and the extras,” said Chef Bradley Scott, Director of the Culinary Arts and Hospitality program at Scott Community College. “That’s one of the most popular trends I’m seeing this year.” At any Super Bowl party, regardless of which team on TV hoists the championship trophy, the real winners... Read More

We can usually tell if we get an early and lasting snowfall or cold snap, that travel will increase in January or February. This year, due to the mild temps (until just recently) we noticed that there wasn’t the normal “mass exodus” to warmer climates by air. However, now that we’ve experienced the below freezing temps for the past few weeks, we know that travel to the warmer destinations, such as the Florida cities and Phoenix-Mesa on Allegiant, for instance, will be filled. Sometimes, people do wait until the bad weather hits and they finally will book and get out of town. It’s never... Read More

It’s midnight somewhere on a Wednesday night in a near-empty downtown Rock Island bar and Billy Peiffer is celebrating the induction of Lynn Allen into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, having a beer and attempting to talk Spanish to the bartender. “Was that right, was that even close?” he says, as she shrugs and nods. He laughs heartily. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep tryin’, I’ll get it right eventually!” That attitude of dogged perseverance and good humor has been the engine that’s driven the Quad-Cities band since its inception in 1982. The group – then consisting of Peiffer... Read More

Rick Davis has long been known as an improvisational master of many hats and voices, and in his latest one-man show, “ChaRICKatures,” he’ll get the chance to use as many of both as he can in a show that finds the veteran local comedian presenting a show that even Establishment owner Patrick Adamson says is “really performing without a net.” Davis will eschew the usual practice of improvisation with other partners and instead will partner up with the crowd, playing an interesting game of presenting a handful of celebrities he’ll be impersonating and then having the audience suggestions... Read More