Summer of 2016 brings record high temperatures to Quad cities along with annual events. Music, art, fair, carnivals, festivals, and so on make QC the greatest place to spend the summer again! Here are my top picks for summer 2016.
Rock Island County Fair – July 19 to 23: Enjoy the unlimited rides and don’t miss the fair food and the demolition derby on Friday and Little Monster trucks on Saturday! See the farm animals and feed them.
MVValley Fair – Aug 2 to 7: Take the fun stands pass to enjoy the entry for five days including the grand stands! Rascal Flatts and Alabama are in the line up this year
Tug Fest – Aug 11 to 13: Don’t miss the fireworks on Friday and the great tug on Saturday. Cheer for your local teams and enjoy the action! Signup your kids for the kids tug to make it more interesting
River Roots Live – Aug 26 to 27: If you like loud music and street food, this is the place for you. Bring a lawn chair and enjoy the music! Visit the many stages and enjoy all kinds of music
Quad city balloon festival – Sep 23 to 27: Enjoy the hot air balloon ride over the QC and fly in the colorful balloons. Donate a canned or packed food item for free entry
Do visit the Putnam museum and Figge art museum during to check out their special exhibits. Say hello to the mummy in the museum and create art at the Figge art museum. Ride the channel cat water taxi to cross the river. Ride the river cruises and dinner cruises on the famous Celebration Belle. Go to the movie in the park or the movie marathon in the theaters early shows.
If you want to venture out new adventures in the Quad cities, try out the Scuba Adventures and get certified in the live water swimming. Don’t miss the Slide the city on August 6th which is sure a fun to do and watch as well. A must visit is the Bust out live escape rooms in Bettendorf which is a perfect team building activity for family, friends, or office. the Quad city sky diving is open for season and test your luck out there as well. 🙂
Participate in the marathons, races, triatholons, RAGBRAI, and so on in 2016. Or just enjoy the river walk. Let me know what you did this summer in the Quad cities! 🙂
Summer events are plenty in Quad Cities which let us enjoy the best outdoors. With the mighty Mississippi by our side, we get to explore the nature and create beautiful memories. With thousands of people attending, these events make living in the Quad Cities interesting.
Summer Events in Quad Cities
Here are some quad cities events which are my favorites:
Rock Island County Fair: The 146th annual Rock Island County Fair is from July 11th to July 19th at 4200, Archer Drive
in East Moline. Most of the grandstand acts are from July 15th to July 18th that is, Thursday through Saturday. Admission fee is $2 for adults, unlimited wristband for $20 which covers all the rides. If you want to get tipsy you can either get on the rides or the beer tent nearby. The fair food is mouth watering such as the curly fries, funnel cakes, french fries, hot dogs, nachos cheese, cotton candy, and of course the Lemonades!!
The grandstand acts include popular artists such as Charlie Worsham on Saturday and Clayton Anderson and Keith Anderson on Friday. This year the Demolition Derby is on Thursday 7pm unlike last year when they had it scheduled for Saturday evening. Get your spirits high for the racing and dashing. Further, check their schedule for more information and do not forget there is free pizza by Dominoes on Wednesday and Thursday from 10.30 am to 1pm.
Mississippi Valley Fair: The 96th annual Mississippi Valley Fair is from August 4th to August 9th at 2815, West Locust St in Davenport. The fair is one of the largest fair in Iowa which costs $10 for the general admission and $45 for fun cards. The fun card lets you in for all the five days including the grand stand acts. Kids 12 and under have free admission on Wednesday Aug 5th. This year the grand stand line up includes Kip Moore, Reba, The Marshall Tucker Band, Styx, The Band Perry, and Big & Rich.
You can visit the Mississippi Valley Fair for the fair food especially the corn and baked potatoes. The rides are $20 from 11 am to 5pm and they have a zip line too. There is also the beer tent and free music. There are some free acts throughout the day which include the alligator show, Dallas the Fire Guy, and Team Rock Karate Show among others.
Tug Fest: The 29th annual Tug Fest is from August 13th to August 15th in Port Byron, Illinois or Le Claire, Iowa. Illinois has the most wins 17 over Iowa. You can choose the side depending on which side of the river you are. Thursday night is the family night and is free admission to all. Friday and Saturday admission is $3 per person. Don’t miss Friday night Rumble on the River fireworks over the river at 9pm. The kids tug is at 11 am on Saturday. The actual tug is from 12 to 3pm at the tug site.
Tug fest is a tug of war competition over the Mississippi river between two states Iowa and Illinois. The 2400 feet rope is pulled by tug teams across the river and the state with most points win. Local businesses form teams to compete in the tug. Tug fest is possible with the help of local sponsors and hard working volunteers. Also, the bands are amazing at the Gazebo. I like the music, fireworks,the river, and of course the actual tug. Combine your tug fest visit with the annual Floatzilla on August 15th to make it even more fun.
River Roots Live: The 11th annual River Roots Live is on August 28th and August 29th at 400 W Biederbecke Dr, Davenport in the LeClaire Park. I like their new website though developed by Nerdwerx! The admission is free before 3pm on both days. Gate admission is $15. River Roots Liveis clubbed with the rib fest. The ribs are open at 11 am on both days. Music starts at 5pm on Friday and runs all day on Saturday.
This year’s line up includes artists such as Kacey Musgraves at Saturday 8.45 pm and Hello Goodbye at Friday 10.15 pm. Visit the River Roots Live for lots of ear popping and heart throbbing music. The Junior Jam for children is sponsored by West Music and RME. There are bouncy house for kids and also a video game tent sponsored by Video Game Etc. Check out all the free stuff given away by local businesses apart from the fair food.
You can also hop on the channel cat taxi and Celebration Belle cruises or checkout the Backwater Gamblers in Rock Island. Attend these events and let me know which one you like the most and share if you find any more interesting.:)
The largest selling newspaper in the quad cities with the most accurate information is the Quad cities Dispatch Argus. The paper costs less than a dollar a day but is the only source for exclusive news in sports, politics, entertainment, arts, weather, and so on. Dispatch covers local, national, and international news in the area bringing up to date news. The coupons which drop by every other day along with the paper are the most precious.
Dispatch Argus
The Dispatch and the Rock Island Argus are the local newspapers found in 1878 and 1853 respectively. They serve the local areas with both the papers carrying the same news except modifyng the cover page to suit the individual areas. They both were acquired by the Small Newspaper Group in 1986. The news can also be accessed at their website qconline.com.
Dispatch covers local news and all the articles are well researched, written and edited. Pictures accompany some articles to give more details. The different sections of the paper which appear on special days include:
Cover page
Sports
Arts
Faith
Home
Automobile
World
Comics
Teen
Obituaries
Events
Entertainment
Movie Reviews
Crime reports
Politics
Jobs
Finance
Weather
Honor rolls
Education
Local people including friends and families are featured in the newspaper for their special achievements. Special happenings such as births, marriages, engagements, divorces, and deaths are published in the paper to spread the word easily. On request, Dispatch publishes free obituaries up to 25 lines to honor the local residents who passed away. The local crimes and other follow ups can be tracked through the paper. Families and teenagers can write to the paper to ask a specific question they are facing and can get expert suggestions while being anonymous.
Dispatch Argus supports local students by publishing their essays, achievements, scholarships, and the Regional Annual Spelling Bee. Photo contests are held occasionally and local residents are encouraged to send in the pictures. Frequent job positions in the paper include journalists, writers, editors, home delivery, and so on.
Dispatch provides exclusive coupons apart from special news. Local stores provide deals and discounts through the newspaper and can be used during the valid period. Dispatch provides great news in simple language for people of all ages. Children are encouraged to read the newspaper to improve the awareness of the world around them and also their reading and comprehension. You can also sponsor the newspaper for a day to a local school through their special partnership program.
To subscribe to the Dispatch Argus, call 309 797 0345 or 800 660 2472. You can also visit their website to check out the different delivery options.
The first month of the year is packed with events which are getting pretty difficult to manage. With first snow (and storm), January is getting busier. Here are some of the events in the area.
Bettendorf family museum is offering free evening admission on January 16th from 5pm to 8pm on Martin Luther King Jr.’s day. Enjoy the exhibits and explore nature wonders at the museum.
Moline library is offering a range of free programs including Messy Monday on January 16th, Lego club on January 19th, and Contented canines on January 25th. Registration may be required for some programs. Check the timings before going.
Rock Island Center for Math and Science is offering a free STEM program on January 24th 5pm to 7pm in coordination with IMSA. Children can do variety of science experiments and win prizes!
iwireless center is hosting the World’s toughest rodeo show on January 27th and January 28th at 7.30 pm. Admission is from $18 to $35 and a special goody bag for $55 seat tickets.
The famous attraction in Moline has changed its layout to set up its ‘can do’ look. Visit John Deere Pavillion to see the sculpture made with 320,000 food cans!
John Deere Pavillion launched its latest tractor S690 by creating a sculpture of food cans. Around 320,000 food cans were used this morning. 10,000 bags of rice and pasta were used in addition to the cans. The sculpture weighs around 170 tons and is 80 feet wide and17 feet height.
An architecture firm from Chicago designed and supervised the sculpture. The colors of the cans were chosen and arranged in order to represent the natural colors.
The sculpture is free for public viewing until December 11. Later, the the food will be donated to Riverbend foodbank. It seems that this donated food can serve 150 families for an year! Further, there is a talk about Guiness world record. Let’s wait and see.
John Deere must be appreciated for all the support they offer to the community. 🙂
The Quad Cities Balloon Festival is planned from September 23rd to 25th at the Kennedy Square in East Moline. The event is free but donations of non-perishable food items are encouraged. All the proceedings from the QC Balloon Festival go toward the River Bend Food Bank Backpack Program, which feeds hungry children in Quad Cities.
The QC Balloon festival is scheduled from September 23rd to 25th. The event hosts the launch of 20 hot air balloons, glowing in the dark, art fair, car show, and pan cake breakfast. The pilots are local experts in launching and operating hot air balloons. The pilots involve in different competitions including bean bag toss and races.
River Bend Food Bank is a hunger relief organization which feeds 45, 000 meals for children every year. It also operates four Kids Cafe Sites and Backpack Program. Through the Backpack Program, the food bank aims to supply food for children who do not have food during weekends. Every Friday, the kids who do not have food facilities at home are given easily cook able meals packets for use during the weekends.
You can park your vehicle at the Kennedy Square Parking lot and bring your lawn chairs to enjoy the show. The festival is handicap accessible but does not allow smoking and pets. The Balloon launch is scheduled for Friday and Sunday 5pm and Saturday 7am. While all the activities are dependent on weather, let’s hope for a fun filled Balloon festival. 🙂
The Schadler family runs the Celebration Belle cruises on the mighty Mississippi river right from the heart of Moline. The river cruises offers a unique opportunity to travel the river without actually getting sea sick. 🙂
The Celebration Belle cruises run from the past 25 years to entertain the visitors and residents of Quad cities. The recent flooding of the river might caused some closure of the cruises for a while. The cruises are available at an affordable prices. For a family event or business meeting, the Celebration cruises are a perfect match at an affordable price.
The range of cruise optons available vary from one hour narrated cruises to two day cruises. They include:
The cruises also include enhancements and other cruise options:
Captain’s narrated lunch cruises
Captain’s dance and dinner cruises
Northbound cruises
Narrated sightseeing cruises
Southbound cruises
The prices are affordable and children under three are admitted at no charge and children three to twelve receive extra discounts. You can call the office 800 297 0034 to reserve an appointment. Visit the Cruise calendar to choose a show of your choice. 🙂
Operating since 1978, the Moline Soccer Club has encouraged area children to play soccer. Setting the teams, providing the ground, arranging the team uniforms, and facilitating the games are some of the services apart from providing expert coaching. Moline Soccer Club is a great platform to encourage the sportsmanship in children while mastering soccer.
Soccer, also called as football, is a great sport played by millions worldwide. It is the most popular sport in all parts of the world. The FIFA World cup will be held in 2014 in Brazil. Spain, Netherlands, and Germany are the top countries in the Men’s rankings.
Moline Soccer Club
Moline Soccer Club aims at promoting soccer in area schools and children. They provide unique coaching and guidance in soccer as well as building sportsmanship and teamwork.
Moline Soccer Club provide coaching and facilitate games for children from ages five through fourteen. They form the teams for both boys and girls according to the ages and arrange the games. The teams are called Gnats, Bumblebees, Mosquitoes, Hornets, and Grasshoppers based on the ages.
Registration
The registration forms are supplied through area schools or can be downloaded from their website. The charge for six games and twelve practice sessions is about $61. One can register for both fall and spring sessions. The players will be recognized and awarded a medal a the end of the session. Some of the best players are identified for travel teams and other soccer sessions.
Quad Cities United Soccer also offers soccers sessions for children for around $40 at Augustana College.
Rules
Moline Soccer Club expects the participants and their parents to follow certain guidelines during the sessions. For instance, calling names, using drugs, abusing, hurting, or passing negative comments must be avoided. All the players and parents are expected to display positive sportsmanship attitude during the practice and games.
The Moline Soccer Club is one of the mediums through which boys and girls can learn soccer and develop sportsmanship. 🙂
Get ready for the greatest snow storm in decades. The meteorologists and weather news channels are getting crazy about the greatest storm coming up. Spanning from new Mexico to Maine, the storm is sure to upset the lives and create a havoc if we are unprepared.
Quad cities is expected to receive 12 to 16 inches of snow today and tomorrow. There is a chance of power outage and total block out. The internet, telephone and cell phone facilities may be down in the next two days. Most of the area schools have already declared holidays for the children.
Thirty snow plowing trucks in Moline are already on roads for clearing the snow. Piles of salt is waiting to clear the snow. Icy conditions may lead to accidents and hence do not travel. Heavy winds and snow gusting may make travel difficult and impossible. Snow emergency has been declared in most of the counties and snow routes are in effect. That is, if you park your vehicle by the road side, your vehicle will be towed away at your expense as it is blocking the snow clearance.
Area residents are stocking up for until the Super Bowl game ahead of the storm. Stocking the essentials such as milk, bread, water, and medicines is a good idea. Stay warm and stay safe. 🙂
Do not miss the Lighting on the Commons at the John Deere Pavilion this Saturday. The annual event is free and a lot of fun with fireworks and goodies!
Lighting on the Commons is the annual event that kicks off the holiday season in the Quad Cities. Local community people gather at the John Deere Pavilion to celebrate together. People get free horse cart rides around the John Deere Pavilion. Further, free hot chocolate, cookies, and coffee is served for the visitors. Santa’s family greet the visitors and everybody gets an opportunity to take a family picture with them.
Fireworks will be started after the lighting followed by choir by Moline school’s children. The event is free this Saturday from 3.30 pm to 6 pm. Last year, Anthony Peoples, the meteorologist on WQAD hosted the event and led the countdown for the fireworks. Children will enjoy for sure, adults will have a good time. Be prepared for the cold weather and do not forget to wear your winter gear. 🙂
The Disney’s magic show at the iwireless center was a hit among the children but the adults did not like it much though. May be the show is good for toddlers as even the seven year olds can guess what is happening behind the magic. The show was not as good as the other ones of the Disney’s such as last year’s Disney on Ice. 🙂
Disney’s Magic Show at the iWireless center last friday started at 6.30 pm. The commentators participated in the magic show and were good. The characters Mickey, Minnie, Donald duck, Goofy, Aladdin, Snow white, Jasmine, Cindrella and other team members worked very hard to make the show a success. The commitment of the staff in entertaining the audience was commendable. The team coordinated well and performed the tricks.
The magic tricks included locked rings, vanishing things, flying objects, changing objects among others. The best one I thought was when the performers put two girls in separate boxes. Then, swapped them in the boxes, cut them in to half and then even the dresses of the girls swapped too!
They let two children from the audience participate in the magic show and it was engaging. Occasionally, the audience had to shout ‘Abracadabra’ to let the magic work. The Disney characters were fun to watch. 🙂
The iWireless center offers group discounts for a group of 20 or more. This time due to security concerns none of the food items from outside were allowed inside including water! The store had a collection of Disney’s characters and accessories. Some of the children took pictures with the Disney’s characters after the show. Overall, the show was money consuming along with a bit of entertainment. 🙂
Scouting is popular worldwide for nurturing and developing children. The names of the organizations may differ in different pars of the world, but the basic motto of supporting young children in their physical, mental and spiritual development remains same. Girl scouts and boy scouts are active in Quad cities local schools.
What do Scouts do?
Boy scouts or Girl scouts are trained in a wide range of outdoor activities and educational programs. Their leaders teach about multiple skills and topics including the country, God, society, personal safety, sports, aquatics, nature, outdoor adventures, camping, hiking among others. Character development along with life skills is a part of scouting.
Scouts abide by common oath and common principles. They meet weekly once or according to their preset schedules. The scouts are grouped based on the age or grades. So, the kids can relate and learn from each other while learning and having fun.
How much does Scouting cost?
Young children ages five and above can become a member of the scouts for a minimal annual fee of $12 to $15. Additional charges apply for the uniform and camping. If you want to send your child for a camp, you may have to purchase additional camping gear.
Most scouts are self-supporting and raise funds through popcorn sales or the yummy cookie sales.
What can parents do?
Parents can be part of the activities and fun during their children’s meetings. Offer additional information if the child has any queries about their scouting experiences. Parents can help their kids by offering extra support through the scouting.
This weekend get ready for the rides and games at the Back to School Carnival at Rock Island County Fair Ground.
The fair opens Thursday and Friday at 5 pm. On Saturday and Sunday the fair opens at 1 pm and the rides are 15$ unlimited until 4pm.
You can reach the Rock Island County Fairgrounds, Avenue of the Cities & Archer Drive, East Moline, IL 61244 and can call 309-796-1620 for more information.
With school reopened and kids and parents stressed out, it is the perfect time for a jolly ride. 🙂
For Quad city residents, August is packed with full of local events which are not to be missed. The Mississippi Valley Fair, River Roots Live Music Festival, Tug Fest are the major annual events apart from the movie in the park. These events make summer a little more exciting and worth celebrating!
Mississippi Valley Fair, 2010
The 91st annual Mississippi Valley Fair is being held at Davenport, Iowa from August 3rd to August 8th. If you have visited the Rock Island County Fair in July, you can expect this fair to be much bigger and with more events.
The Mississippi Valley Fair has a line up of celebrity artists from across the country performing live daily. Apart from the grand stand events, the fair is packed with shows from across the country. The animal show, carnival rides, fire guy show, diamonds show, Stiltwalker Todd Lageisse show, sculptors are some of the amazing shows in the fair.
The fair is held at 2815 West Locust street Davenport, Iowa 52804. They can be reached on (563) 326-5338. The entry fee is $10 per head and $40 for all days with admission to the grand stand.
Tug Fest, 2010
The 24th annual Tug Fest is held across the Mississippi river between Le Claire, Iowa and Port Byron, Illinois. The tug-of-war across the river is held annually along with the Bike show and fire works. The show and events can be seen both the cities and are a ton of fun. Don’t forget to bring your lawn chairs and water bottles.
The festival is held on August 12th to 14th and the entry is free. 🙂 Do not miss the annual show with lots of events for children as well as adults. The tug fest for children and the Prince/Princess contests are held for children. For adults, the parade contests, bike contests, Running, Golf tournament are the planned events. The fireworks on Friday, August 13th are a feast and a must see!
River Roots Live Music Festival, 2010
The sixth annual River Roots Live Music Festival has artists from across the country performing for entertaining the visitors. The festival is a feast for all music lovers with a line-up of popular artists and fun.
The festival will be held in Davenport Downtown on August 20th and August 21st. The timings are from 11am till midnight. Entry is free 🙂 and the shows are held in multiple stages. The music festival is packed with rib fest for you to enjoy mouth-watering ribs. Bring your lawn chairs and water bottles.
Movie in the Park, Moline
Every Friday night in August, Moline Parks department shows a free movie in the park at Riverside Park. Bring your lawn chairs, blankets and water bottles to enjoy the cool summer and a free movie. Concessions are available at the park at an extra charge.
So, finally there are many events in August before school starts and fall begins. Enjoy to your maximum potential and let me know how it went. 🙂
The Butterworth Center and Deere Wiman house at 817, 11th Avenue and 1105-8th Street, Moline is a must visit for Quad city residents to explore the history of the place. They were originally owned by the John Deere family but currently serve the community for architectural and historical education.
Deere-Wiman House
The Deere-Wiman house was built by the great John Deere for his youngest son Charles. It was designed by Chicago architect William Le Baron Jenny and the John Deere descendants lived there from 1872 to 1976. The house was renovated and currently offers a unique opportunity to compare the life style of then and now. 🙂
The house has Blue room, Rose room, Green room with rich upholstery, furniture and architecture. The dining hall has big paintings and tea pots. The paintings throughout the house are extraordinary and may take hours to enjoy. The piano hall, guest rooms, library and music room show case the original and renovated architecture.
Butterworth Center
The Butterworth Center, originally called as ‘Hillcrest’, was built in 1892 as a wedding gift for Katherine Deere and William Butterworth from her parents Charles and Mary Deere. Mrs. Butterworth was the grand daughter of John Deere. She was the first president of Deere and Company. She invented the steel plow in 1837.
The Center features rich architecure and paintings. The roof painting in the library is a master piece. The bi-level living room features a music room with grand piano and pipe organ of 26 ranks. These are the one of the foremost residential installations in the Midwest. The house was dedicated for community after the death of Mrs. Butterworth.
Community Service
The Center offer guided tours for school children. Several workshops, tours, summer camps, field trips for teachers and children are conducted every year. The Butterworth trust offers scholarships to outstanding students in the Moline School District. The center conducts different competitions where students can participate and show case their talent.
I liked the Blossoms on the Butterworth event today and enjoyed the tour apart from some free goodies. 🙂 The tent by the WQPT, the free picture, the 1800s games, and balloons were top attractions. The garden tour was pleasant and good for walking! The shows included juggling, Niabi Zoo show, youth bands among others. The car antique display was amazing to watch including the car that featured in Johnny Depp starred movie, ‘Public Enemies’. 🙂
You can reach them on (309) 743-2700 to schedule a guided tour or check the event calendar for a visit.
Quad cities is home to many popular attractions. Backwater Gamblers is one more must-seeing show for quad city residents and visitors. While I liked the ski show at Wisconsin dells at the Tommy Bartlett show, I am sure people will like the Backwater Gamblers show within the Quad cities itself.
What: Non-proft ski show team Cost: Absolutely free. Requires your time and presence. That’s it 🙂 Where: 44th Street, Rock Island, IL (309-786-8987) When: Sundays and Wednesdays 6.30 pm
The Backwater Gamblers are a team of professionals right in the heart of quad cities just for your family entertainment. The team members are volunteers and accept donations. The show lasts for over one hour with ten minutes break in between. I am sure children will like it anyways, but adults will be jumping too. 🙂
Moline city in Illinois has around twenty public parks for the community. The Riverside Park, Greenvalley park, Prospect park, Sylvan island and Stephens park are some of the bigger parks. The park board arrange summer concerts and movies for public entertainment and free of cost. 🙂
Moline public parks organize summer concerts at Stephens Square every Monday at 7pm. Further, starting June 23rd, the parks arranged Jazz concert series at Bass Street landing.
Summer Programs
Moline Public parks offer training in different areas such as basketball, softball,tennis, dodgeball, kickball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, gymnastics, mushball and so on. In addition, they have classes for cooking, oil painting, swimming, dog training, yoga, fitness classes, flag football, greenhouse classes and so on. The parks offer summer day camp for children apart from other fun activities.
You can reach the park office at 3635, 4th Avenue or call them on 524-2424. You can register for swimming at Riverside Aquatic center on 797-0788. The parks feature free movie in the Riverside park in August every Friday.
The park shelters can be registered by calling 524-2424. The picnic shelters may be reserved in advance for $35 for small shelters and $95 for large shelters. The shelters are ideal for birthday parties or family get-together. Playgrounds and rest areas are available in all the parks for public convenience.
For simple play and family fun the public parks are the best option. 🙂
