Delivering a weekend of family fun that blends history with excitement, the city of LeClaire and its Buffalo Bill Museum are proud to treat guests to the outdoor delights of The Buffalo Bill Wild West Show, the June 28 and 29 celebration at LeClaire's Cody Elementary School boasting horse-riding events, children's activities, live music, food vendors, and much more.

Annual explosions of fun followed by literal explosions in the air will be taking place in Davenport's LeClaire Park, Rock Island's Schwiebert Riverfront Park, and Davenport's baseball stadium Modern Woodmen Park when the Quad Cities hosts its Fourth of July celebration Red, White, & Boom!, the bi-state July 3 event delivering a spectacular fireworks display over the Mississippi River as well as live music, food and beverage vendors, special presentations, family programming, and more.

In a special Moline Public Library on July 1, two science-fiction visionaries who were able to imagine the world we now inhabit – and beyond – will be celebrated through story in song in Barry Cloyd's solo performance Jules Verne & H.G. Wells: The Birth of Sci-Fi and the First Citizens of the Future, a salute to the literary geniuses who peered beyond the curtain of time to predict the far distant future.

One of the most adored hits in the Disney/Pixar canon will be brought to delightful stage life at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts from June 27 through 29 when the student talents of the Young Footliters present Finding Nemo Jr., a 60-minute adaptation of the Oscar-winning animated comedy boasting new music by the songwriting team of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and double EGOT winner Robert Lopez.

As I write this, multiple news outlets have reported that the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is preparing to deploy its Special Response Teams to five major U.S. cities, including Chicago, in the very near future. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s chief of staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas told reporters last week: “There will be tactical teams, mini-tanks, other tools they use in which they plan to do raids, as we saw in Los Angeles.”

One of William Shakespeare's most memorable and beloved romantic comedies returns to Rock Island's Lincoln Park when Genesius Guild presents its June 21 through 29 staging of Much Ado About Nothing, the Bard-ian classic that enjoyed a Tony-winning Broadway run in 1985, a 1993 movie showcase for Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson, and a 2011 black-and-white film modernization by pop icon Joss Whedon.

Danielle Colby, star of the hit series American Pickers and a longtime advocate for the performing arts, is proud to announce the grand-opening celebration for the Ecdysiast Arts Museum, this museum in the heart of downtown Davenport dedicated to preserving and celebrating the rich history and artistry of burlesque. The June 21 event promises an evening of education and entertainment, featuring curated exhibits that delve into the glittering world of burlesque, as well as live performances that pay homage to this vibrant art form.

Amassed over four decades by a pair of noted printmakers and educators, the fascinating works found in German Expressionist Prints from the David & Sarojini Johnson Collection will be on display in Davenport's German American Heritage Center through December 14, this showcase of arresting pieces held in conjunction with the Figge Art Museum's companion exhibit Fever Dreams: German Expressionism.

With highlights from the eagerly awaited annual event including free concerts in the park, a Swedish Maypole celebration, a book signing, children's activities, and more, everyone is invited to bring lawn chairs and have a wonderful time the 2025 Bishop Hill Midsommar Music Festival on June 21, the historic Illinois town's family-friendly celebration of this Swedish holiday.