Returning to Moline with two spectacular, all-new touring presentations, the live, multi-sensory musical experience known as the Candlelight Concerts series enjoys its latest Quad Cities engagement at the city's First Congregational Church with a pair of eagerly awaited October 24 events: Candlelight: Coldplay vs. Imagine Dragons and Candlelight: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics.

With the Oscar-winning 1986 hit enjoying a local showing just in time for Halloween, Rozz-Tox guests are invited to "Be afraid ... be very afraid" on October 29 when the Rock Island venue screens David Cronenberg's The Fly as part of the community series Filmosofia, this evening in Rock Island also featuring a reading discussion on the movie's philosophical themes hosted by Augustana College's Dr. Deke Gould.

If Halloween is approaching, it must be time for that theatrical command: “Let's do the 'Time Warp' again!” Consequently, the Circa '21 Speakeasy will stage its 10th-anniversary presentation of the cult-musical smash The Rocky Horror Show October 24 through 31, treating audiences to live performances of classic songs in this nutty, interactive experience that has been delighting show regulars and virgins alike for more than half a century.

A 2025 Tony Award winner hailed by the New York Times as "the perfect play for our age of disagreement," Jonathan Specter's hilarious, biting comedy Eureka Day enjoys an October 24 through November 9 run at Iowa City's Riverside Theatre, the work also lauded by The New Yorker as "so brilliantly yoked to the current American moment – its flighty politics, its deadly folly – that it makes you want to jump out of your skin."

A wildly popular comedy show filled with stage shenanigans, songs, contests, and prizes designed to lift the spirits, the touring hit Randy's Cheeseburger Picnic lands at Davenport's Raccoon Motel on October 26, treating patrons to a night with Canadian actor Patrick Roach and his alter ego: lovable Randy of Trailer Park Boys fame.

The problem? Corporate tax cuts passed by Congress in July “may offset much of the anticipated corporate tax revenue growth” from state-level reforms. The Governor’s Office of Management and Budget projected last week the current fiscal year’s budget will run a $267 million deficit. The budget office recommended taking “immediate” action to plug the hole.

On October 18, Rock Island's Dan Vinar Furniture Company (and current Rock Island Haunted Roadhouse), will host the 2025 Quad Cities Archives Fair, allowing the public to experience Quad Cities history by visiting with regional cultural and historical organizations, learning about unique collections and services, listening to talks on historical topics, and discovering some of the area's hidden gems.

Hosted by River Action and themed "“A Piece of a Larger Puzzle," the 19th-Annual Upper Mississippi River Conference will be held at Moline's Stoney Creek Inn & Convention Center on October 15 and 16, the event designed to bring together conservationists, policymakers, scientists, students, and community leaders to collaborate on holistic solutions for the Mississippi River and its watershed.

Delivering a high-energy, sing-along night of hits sure to include "Beautiful Crazy," "Hurricane," "Beer Never Broke My Heart," "Kick the Dust Up," "Strip It Down," and "Home Alone Tonight," frontmen Adam Lee and Brandon Todd bring the touring sensation Battle of the Lukes: Hits from Luke Combs & Luke Bryan to East Moline venue The Rust Belt, their October 18 engagement a celebration of two of country music's biggest stars - and biggest Lukes.