With the closure of indoor dining throughout the state, by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse has made the difficult decision to close its doors for the holiday season. The Rock Island theater’s planned productions of “Winter Wonderland” and “Seussical” will be moved to the end of the 2021 season instead. Circa has, however, received special permission from Springfield to remain open until this Saturday to finish the current run of “The Savannah Sipping Society.” “This was a terribly difficult decision,” Brett Hitchcock, director of audience development,... Read More

We at QuadCities.com are ALWAYS looking for cool new ways to bring you the best in local entertainment coverage in the Quad-Cities. And so we’re once again giving you our NEW feature — The Month In Events! It’s our way of giving you even MORE great coverage here on your site for the best arts and entertainment reporting in the area — your free, fun, local, award-winning QuadCities.com! QuadCities.com proudly presents Month in Events, a list of events happening in the Quad Cities this month, and every month! On the first of every month we will give you an exciting glimpse into the entertainment... Read More

Quad City Arts launched its new collection of online educational materials for the 47th-annual Visiting Artist Series on Wednesday, Oct. 28. The site, https://www.quadcityarts.com/vas-educational-resources.html, offers exclusive content from a wide variety professional artists and ensembles, such as ballet fusion company Hiplet, pianist Barron Ryan, steel pan artist John Patti, Mexican folk/rock quartet Jarabe Mexicano, and National Players theatre company. Their contributions include brief demonstration videos, study guides, workshop-style videos, and more. This collection of resources replaces... Read More

Fright Night is moving to Sunset Park! This year the Rock Island Parks and Recreation department will be having a Drive-Through Fright Night on Thursday Oct 22 from 5 – 7 p.m.! Enter Sunset Park (Sunset Road – 18th & 31st Avenues) on 18th Avenue and stay in your car as you travel through the park to have your children trick-or-treat and see all the ghost and goblins from local organizations! This is a family friendly event! Local organizations interested in being involved are encouraged to reach out to Daniel Gleason at Gleason.Daniel@rigov.org. For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/2053691228100083.  Read More

Rock Island’s Big Swing Brewing Company, 113 18th Street, announced today they will be closing immediately. In a video released on social media, the restaurant and brewing company housed in the old Blue Cat Brewing Company spot made the announcement. Over a montage of pictures of the staff and patrons, the message scrolled: “And suddenly you know, it’s time to start something new and trust the magic of new beginnings… “We will miss each and every one of you, and from our family to yours… “We have shared many laughs over burgers, tears over drinks, dancing... Read More

A new exhibit at Quad City Arts’ Rock Island Gallery through Dec. 11, is called “Extraordinary Women,” large-scale paintings by Jaclyn Garlock. Garlock’s paintings depict life-sized women engaging in non-salaried work — from cooking to laundry to volunteering — and enjoying themselves as they do it. The titles of her paintings are borrowed from song lyrics, which is appropriate since she lives in Clear Lake, Iowa, home of the Surf Ballroom, where some say, “the music died.” That line (from Don McLean’s immortal “American Pie”) memorializes the 22-year-old rock pioneer... Read More

We have been wearing masks for a few months, so let’s bring out our best masks for a Mask-erade Party! Big Swing Brewing Company (113 18th Street Rock Island) proudly presents 10 Days of Halloween, which kicks off this Tuesday Oct 20 and continues through Saturday Oct 31. Events will take place every day, like ‘Fright Nite Flicks with Hot Chocolate & Smores,’ ‘Halloweenie Pet Costume Parade,’ and even a ‘Spooky Dinner Party with Ghoulish Grub.’ The fun wraps up on Saturday Oct 31 with the ultimate Mask-erade Halloween Party. Enjoy great food, live music and even prizes for the... Read More

Are you feeling the swirls of spookiness in the air? If you’re a lover of all things fall and freaky – there is no shortage of exciting and fun things to do in the Quad Cities this week! 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 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... Read More

The 23rd annual Frieze Lecture Series for the Rock Island Public Library takes a deeper look at our reaction to global crises, past and present, in a two-part series presented by Augustana College professors with expertise in history and public health. Free and open to the public, the 2020 Frieze Lectures are offered online at 2:00 pm on two Tuesdays in October 20 and 27. The 2020 series topics include: Tuesday, Oct 20: Why We Forgot the 1918 Flu: A Historian Looks at a Century of Pandemics. Dr. Lendol Calder, professor of history at Augustana College, will consider the global influenza pandemic... Read More

Given that 2020 is certainly a year for the history books, it’s no surprise that the 23rd annual Frieze Lecture Series for the Rock Island Public Library takes a deeper look at our reaction to global pandemics, past and present. The free, two-part series will be presented by Augustana College professors with expertise in history and public health. The following lectures will be offered online at 2 p.m. on two Tuesdays, Oct. 20 and 27 – Tuesday, Oct 20: Why We Forgot the 1918 Flu: A Historian Looks at a Century of Pandemics. Dr. Lendol Calder, professor of history at Augustana College,... Read More