ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS (May 20, 2025) — The City of Rock Island and Rock Island Downtown Alliance are excited to welcome the QC Farmers’ Market to the heart of Downtown Rock Island this season.
The Rock Island City Council on Monday, May 19, approved a weekly use of the newly renovated 1800 block of 2nd Avenue for the expanding homegrown, food-focused market. Alder Dylan Parker, Fifth Ward, said the move marks a major milestone for the City’s Rebuild Downtown Rock Island Project and ongoing revitalization efforts.
“This once-in-a-generation investment by the City has revitalized our downtown infrastructure and public spaces, and the arrival of the farmers' market will inject even more vibrancy and energy into this renewed area,” said Parker, who doubles as the community representative on the QC Farmers' Market Board of Directors. “It's a fantastic synergy that will bring increased foot traffic, benefiting our local businesses and making the market more accessible.”
The market is slated to run from 8 a.m. to noon every Saturday, May 31-October 25, on the new “festival street” that will be closed to vehicle traffic during the market’s hours of operation.
Improvements to the new pedestrian-oriented, event-friendly street include curbless 28-foot-wide sidewalks; pop-up bollards for seamless routine road closures; decorative lighting and landscaping; public art; bench seating; and uniform patio areas for adjacent businesses. Free parking is available in adjacent lots as well as on the street surrounding the market venue, and multiple bike racks are in the general vicinity.
“We are thrilled to partner with the City and Downtown Alliance to make this move into Downtown Rock Island, in the beautifully renovated space on 2nd Avenue,” said Ian Forslund, founder and Chair of the QC Farmers’ Market Board of Directors.
The market, which has been operating in Schwiebert Riverfront Park since 2021, has a roster of twenty vendors and counting based within fifty miles of Downtown Rock Island. Collectively, they grow and prepare a full gamut of fresh foods, including produce, meat, eggs, dairy, honey, flowers, garden plants, baked goods, and more. Many vendors already supply food for downtown restaurants, including NEST Café and QC Coffee and Pancake House.
Healthy Harvest Urban Farms, a longtime leader in establishing a local sustainable food system, applauded the market’s move to 2nd Avenue, just two blocks from the organic grocery store and vegan café at 1616 2nd Avenue. Owner Chad Summers is pleased to see the progress after working for four years advocating for a “true growers’ market” in Downtown Rock Island and is planning to sell hot breakfast items at the market.
The relocation of the market is also inspiring other businesses to envision new offerings and partnerships.
“Multiple opportunities arise for the farmers, downtown, market visitors and businesses on and close to 2nd Avenue,” said Jon Keim, owner of Huckleberry’s Great Pizza and Calzones, 223 18th St. “We are looking forward to purchasing from the farmers, creating meals from the locally grown products and growing our business alongside the QC Farmers’ Market.”
Market patrons and visitors to the new location may enjoy additional seating and yard games on the new green lawn right next to the festival street. Once a month, June through October, the Downtown Alliance will host a special event called Second Saturdays on 2nd Avenue during market hours, featuring free live music and family-friendly activities.
“This is exactly the type of consistent program and activity we planned for when dreaming up this new shared space for the community,” said Jack Cullen, Executive Director of the Downtown Alliance. “We are eager to offer more reasons for people to explore downtown and all it has to offer on a regular basis, and we hope this partnership with the QC Farmers’ Market motivates people to make us part of their weekend ritual.”
The final pieces of the Rebuild Downtown Project include installation of the sidewalk patios outside of five restaurants and reconstruction of the 3rd Avenue and 19th Street intersection, which is expected to be completed in June.
Further plans and details for Second Saturdays on 2nd, including the monthly lineup of musicians and family-friendly activities, will be announced soon.
