2022 Bix Block Parties and Quad-City Times Bix 7 in downtown Davenport -- July 29 and 30.
Friday, July 29, and Saturday, July 30
Various Locations, Downtown Davenport IA
Returning to downtown Davenport for the 48th time, the Quad-City Times Bix 7 will find runners and walkers taking on a seven-mile foot race alongside live bands and cheering crowds, with the July 29 and 30 weekend also featuring numerous block parties – hosted by dozens of downtown-Davenport businesses – between the Rock Island Arsenal Bridge on the east to the Centennial Bridge on the west.
Among this year's Bix block parties will be the inaugural Bix Mix held on Third Street between Ripley and Harrison, and produced by Mac’s Tavern, Carriage Haus, Daq Fac and Kilkenny’s Pub. With the evenings of July 29 and 30 featuring food trucks, outside bars, and street games, the Bix Mix will also boast live music with ROADS on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Wicked Liz & the Bellyswirls on Saturday at 5:30p.m., and Flying Buffaloes on Saturday at 9 p.m. The Dam View Inn's Best Dam Bix Party at 410 East Second Street will feature a Saturday-night performance by Too Hype Crew at 8 p.m. The River Music Experience at 129 Main Street will host free live music from The Dawn in the venue's courtyard on Friday at 5 p.m. And for an admission price of one dollar, the Starlight-produced Finish Line Fest (held a half-block from the Bix 7 finish line at 218 Iowa Street) on July 31 will boast drink specials and food by Flavor Train, as well as concert performances by Dirt Road Rockers at 10 a.m.; Rude Punch at noon; Orangadang at 2 p.m.; Funkatude at 3:30 p.m.; Class of ‘82 at 5:30 p.m.; and Electric Shock: The AC/DC Show at 8:30 p.m.
Meanwhile, beginning at 8 a.m. on July 30, the largest non-marathon race in the Midwest gets underway in the Quad-City Times Bix 7, beginning at the foot of Brady Street. Founded in 1975 by Bettendorf resident John Hudetz and covering seven miles of Quad Cities territory, the inaugural race had a field consisting of 84 runners. Today, the Bix is often run by between 12,000 and 18,000 individuals, with such running legends as legends Bill Rodgers, Joan Benoit Samuelson, and Meb Keflezighi among those returning to compete this year. In addition to the Bix 7, other options for participants include the Prairie Farms Quick Bix, a two-mile fun run or walk up the Brady Street hill with live bands playing alongside the course, and the Arconic Jr. Bix 7 for ages 12 and under who traverse courses of seven-tenths of a mile, a half-mile, and, for the littlest kids, 70 yards. All Bix 7 competitors who cross the finish line are invited to the Quad-City Times parking lot afterward, where representatives from Walmart and other race sponsors, will be waiting with food, beverages, and fun.
For more information on the Quad-City Times Bix 7 on July 30, visit Bix7.com, and for more on the weekend's Bix block parties, visit DowntownDavenport.com.
