Superheroes unite! Now grab your bicycles! It’s time for a Superhero Ride! Back by popular demand, the River Benders Cycling Group is hosting their Superhero Ride on Saturday May 13. Check in will begin on the day of the ride at 10:30 a.m. at Schweibert Park in Rock Island. All superheroes will depart at 11 a.m. and head to River House in Moline for a Parade of Heroes and games. The next stop will be at Hall of Fame Pizza in Bettendorf, for a late lunch. The last stop will be at Davenport Freight House’s Taproom. Registration is $10 and includes treats and fun! All are encouraged to join the... Read More

There are some exciting things happening this month in the arts at Augustana College! Here’s a rundown of some of the cool events: Titanic: the Musical opened last weekend, with more performances this weekend May 5-6 at 7:30 p.m. and May 7 at 1:30 p.m. Get your tickets at www.augustana.edu/tickets. The Senior Art Exhibition opened Friday, featuring the Senior Inquiry projects of the studio art and graphic design majors of the Augustana Class of 2017. As part of the Celebration of Learning on May 3, students will give artist talks in the Centennial Hall galleries beginning at 10:30 a.m. A closing... Read More

The District in downtown Rock Island is hoppin’ with activity this weekend! Starting at 6 p.m. Friday, the Gallery Hop offers free fun at a variety of venues until 10 p.m. See live musical performances, live comedy, live art being created, book readings, book signings, pottery, jewelry and more! The event is free and open to the public and is sponsored in part by your site for fun, free, local entertainment, QuadCities.com! It’s no secret in the Quad Cities that Downtown Rock Island is a happening place filled with interesting and historical buildings. But have you ever wondered what was going... Read More

Whether you already have a health-conscious family, or you want to start making healthier lifestyle choices for yourself and young ones, you will not want to miss this event! The Healthy Happy Families Foundation is hosting their Healthy Happy Families Fun Day! The event will take place on Saturday April 30 from 11am-3pm at the Quad City Botanical Center (2525 4th Avenue Rock Island). This event is FREE admission! Family fun, mixed with plenty of learning, will be the focus for the day. Healthy Happy Families Day will feature bounce houses, healthy snacks, drawings and much more. Happy the Dog,... 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

Looking for a relaxing and patriotic way to spend your Sunday afternoon? Then you are in luck! On Sunday, April 2 the United State Navy Concert Band is coming to Rock Island! The concert will be held at Augustana College’s Centennial Hall, located at 3703 7th Avenue Rock Island. The show will run from 2-4pm. This is a FREE event! However, tickets are required to avoid overfilling the auditorium. There is a limit of six tickets per request. To obtain your tickets, stop by the Augustana Ticket Office at 3703 7th Avenue Rock Island during normal business hours, 10am-6pm M-F and 10am-2pm on Saturdays.... 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

Election day is next Tuesday, April 4, and while we at QuadCities.com are largely in favor of bringing you the best of local entertainment and features, we also recognize the interest and importance of voting and its impact. So we encourage everyone, regardless of their choice, to get out and vote for the candidates they feel will do the best in their elected positions. Over the past few months, I, personally, have been honored to converse with the four men running for Rock Island mayor. This has been as part of QCUncut, my talk show podcast here on QuadCities.com, which offers uncut, unedited... Read More