2025 Quad Cities Archives Fair at Dan Vinar Furniture Company -- October 18.
Saturday, October 18, 1 – 4 p.m.
Dan Vinar Furniture Company, 500 20th Street, Rock Island IL
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.
The annual Archies Fair allows guests to chat with and learn from exhibitors, with nearly two dozen scheduled to participate, among them: Augustana College Special Collections; Bix Beiderbecke Museum & Archives; Butterworth Center & Deere-Wiman House; Colonel Davenport Historical Foundation ; Davenport School Museum; German American Heritage Center and Museum; Lydia Bookmobile with a 1925 replica of the first bookmobile in Iowa; Mississippi Spoon Gallery; Palmer College of Chiropractic--Special Collections and Archives; Putnam Museum and Science Center; QC PastPort; Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center; Scott County Iowa Genealogical Society; Scott Community College Archives; Scott County Historic Preservation Society; St. Ambrose University Archives; St. Ambrose University Art History & Museum Studies Department; Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center at Augustana College; Vasa Order of America National Archive; Vintage Audio Restoration; and Scottish American Society of Quad Cities.
Archives Fair attendees can also enjoy light refreshments and enter to win door prizes, and at 1:30 and 3 p.m., local historian and storyteller John Brassard Jr. will present his program "Brick by Brick: The Legacy of the Old Rock Island YMCA." In it, guests can discover the riveting history behind one of Rock Island’s most iconic buildings, and take a dive deep into the YMCA’s history and travel from its beginnings in the early 20th century as a refuge for travelers, soldiers, and citizens looking for purpose and connection through years of scandal, intrigue, and even murder. Whether you’re a history lover or fascinated by true crime, this talk offers a gripping look at how one building mirrored some of the best and worst elements of Rock Island itself.
An author, host, and podcaster behind the Strange and Dreadful Things brand, Brassard has a degree in history from Iowa State University and is a history columnist for the DeWitt Observer. His work has also been featured in the Quad-City Times, the North Scott Press, the Catholic Messenger, and the Iowa History Journal, and with his father, Brassard co-wrote the 2011 book Scott County Cemeteries. Since 2016, he has soared to ever greater heights and plumbed the darkest depths of history to bring you the stories that your grandma didn’t want to tell you. For more of his content, visit JohnBrassardJr.com.
The 2025 Quad Cities Archives Fair will be held at Rock Island's Dan Vinar Furniture Company on October 18, admission to the 1 to 4 p.m. event is free, and Lisa Vinar will be offering tours of the building after the event for $10 per person (cash only). The tours will runfrom roughly 4 to 5 p.m., allowing patrons to learn the history of the building, see where John Looney and his crew hung out, and explore some of the paranormal legends that haunt the venue.
For more information on the day, visit Sites.google.com/view/qcarchivesfair/home.
