A much-loved actor/musician, dedicated rancher, and decorated World War II soldier will be the subject of a live July 17 performance at the German American Heritage Center, with the Davenport venue hosting To Hell & Back: The Story of Audie Murphy, Duffy Hudson's one-man salute to the American hero whose struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) made him an advocate for research and care for veterans struggling with the condition.

Praised by the Chicago Tribune for its “warmhearted wit leavened with wistful regret” and “inner light of emotional honesty,” author Lauren Gunderson's astronomical drama Silent Sky enjoys a July 14 through 24 run at Geneseo's Richmond Hill Barn Theatre, with this moving play a work that, according to the Tribune, “shines with the luminous joy of re-centering women whose achievements have been too long overlooked by the telescope of history.”

A celebrated Virginia string outfit currently enjoying its 23rd year of professional performance, the country, folk, and Americana musicians of the Hackensaw Boys play Davenport's Raccoon Motel on July 14, the group's talents having inspired Pitchfork to rave, "The band infuses their grassy tornado with brazen punk attitude and catchy pop structure, while simultaneously remaining vehemently sincere."

Five days of outdoor fun will be on hand when East Moline's Rock Island Country Fairgrounds hosts the annual Rock Island County Fair July 19 through 23, offering patrons mornings, afternoons, and evenings filled with carnival rides, games, food vendors, animal shows, racing tournaments, 4-H events, and exciting happenings scheduled for the nights' grandstand entertainment.