With the mystery thriller produced as a special, 75th-anniversary tribute to the publication of Mickey Spillane's first novel I, the Jury, famed novelist, screenwriter, and playwright Max Allan Collins presents a one-night-only staging of Encore for Murder: The New Adventures of Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer, a special September 17 event held in the Muscatine High School Auditorium, and staring Gary Sandy of WKRP in Cincinnati fame.

Outdoor adventurers are again invited to paddle, mountain bike, and run their way to the top in the eagerly anticipated, 16th-annual Taming of the Slough Mississippi River Adventure Triathlon, the River Action-sponsored test of endurance set to take place on Sunday, September 18.

Bold and beautiful works by no fewer than 10 area artists are on display at the Quad City Arts International Airport Gallery through October 31, with the Moline airport currently showcasing oil paintings by Kate Hoyer of Yorkville, Illinois, and Michael Ryan of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, as well as wood-turned art by eight members of the Quad City Woodturning Club: Michael Geist, Dale Hupp, Dennis Hurd, Bill McQuitty, Joe Meirhaeghe, Mike Mosely, Gene Vincent, and Philip Vonthun.

With award-winning, Billboard-charting, Grammy-nominated artists performing on the banks of a mighty river, the Mississippi Valley Blues Fest returns to Davenport for its 36th incarnation on September 16 and 17, the LeClaire Park event – hosted by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society – featuring nine thrilling Main Stage concert sets, nine additionally incendiary sets on the neighboring Tent State, and the return of the MBVS' popular blues-education and -appreciation initiative Blueskool.