At Moline's Prospect Park Auditorium from July 7 through 16, family audiences are invited to follow the yellow brick road toward a magical stage treat in Quad City Music Guild's new production of The Wizard of Oz, a delightful stage adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s beloved tale that features the beloved musical score from the MGM film and unforgettable songs including "If I Only Had a Brain," "Ding Dong, the Witch Is Dead," and, of course, the iconic "Over the Rainbow."

One of the most stunning classical works in the entire William Shakespeare canon, the tragic masterpiece Othello enjoys a July 8 through 16 run at Rock Island's Lincoln Park, this timeless tale of race, passion, jealousy, and revenge being produced by Genesius Guild for the first time since 2004.

Praised by the Star-Ledger as "a sharp, entertaining look at the agonies and ecstasies of making theater today" and by the New York Daily News as a musical that "has far more savvy and soul than a few flashier shows combined," [title of show] makes its area debut with a July 6 through 15 run at Moline's Black Box Theatre, this Tony-nominated hit also lauded by the Associated Press as "a slyly funny yet surprisingly sweet-tempered look at following your dreams and remaining true to yourself."

Reviewing Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie in the New York Times, Ben Brantley asked, “How can something be this delicate and this strong, so elusive and yet so tenacious?” Those qualities are sure to be in force when this enduring, Tony Award-winning classic enjoys its July 7 through 15 run at Black Hawk College Theatre, the Moline venue graciously housing this Mockingbird at Main production after the devastating building collapse of late-May.

Making its eagerly awaited July 13 through 15 return, the 43rd Walcott Truckers Jamboree at the Iowa 80 Truck Stop will showcase more than 175 exhibits, displays, games, cookouts, fireworks, local and national country and rock musicians, and even a beauty contest for trucks in celebration of America's big rigs and those who drive them.

Delivering a blend of local history, environmental issues, education, entertainment, and fresh air, Davenport's River Action will again present a series of outdoor presentations in the second month of the annual Channel Cat Talks and Riverine Walks: weekly programs that, from July 11 through 29, will address such topics as eco-roofs, Monarch butterflies, the history of the Arsenal Island, and those fascinating birds known as pelicans.

Chart-topping, award-winning musicians who recently celebrated their 30th year of international touring, the alternative rockers of Collective Soul headline a July 13 concert at Davenport Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center, the group's number-one hits from their 11-album repertoire including “Heavy,” “Where the River Flows,” “Listen,” and their 1994 breakthrough “Shine.”

One of the Quad Cities' most eagerly anticipated day-long festivals returns on July 8 in the eighth iteration of the Dawn & On Music Festival, with the area musicians of The Dawn hosting bluegrass, funk, roots, reggae, and plenty of rock in nine exhilarating concert sets – from nine much-admired local and regional acts – held in Rock Island's Schwiebert Riverfront Park.

Currently touring in their 23rd year of performance, the rock and metal tribute artists of Hairball headline an July 7 concert at Rock Island's Bally's Quad Cities, with the high-energy Minnesota musicians paying tribute to iconic bands Van Halen, KISS, Mötley Crüe, Queen, Journey, Aerosmith, and more.

Described by the Examiner as “a band unlike any other” and by Blurt magazine as “a hybrid of Idris Muhammad, George Clinton, Ohio Players, and Earth, Wind & Fire,” the tightly-wrapped funk, rock, and R&B musicians of Here Come the Mummies headline a July 8 concert at Maquoketa's Codfish Hollow Barn, their infectious grooves leading The Bob & Tom Show co-host Bob Kevoian to call one of their concerts “the most fun I've had in 20 years.”

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