With the Midwest Writing Center's literary magazine THE ATLAS celebrating the publication of its 21st volume, a release party, open-mic night, and KAS concert honoring the Young Emerging Writers (YEW) program will be held at Rock Island venue Rozz-Tox on August 13, the evening boasting readings from YEW alumni and copies of new and back issues of THE ATLAS available for purchase.

From August 13 through 15, an eagerly awaited summertime tradition returns both on and in between the LeClaire and Port Byron Levees, as the 2026 Great River Tug Fest delivers outdoor family fun with carnival attractions, live music, arts and crafts vendors, fireworks displays, and the hotly anticipated tug-of-war over the Mississippi River.

The latest event in the German American Heritage Center's popular “Kaffee und Kuchen” series, Cornbelt Camouflage Experts: The Untold Role of Iowans in Modern Camouflage will be presented on August 9, Dr. Roy Behrens delivering a richly illustrated slide talk about the little-known involvement in modern camouflage by artists, architects, stage designers, and scientists, a surprising number of whom were originally from Iowa.

Returning to the area for its incredible 106th year, an eagerly awaited six-day festival boasting games, competitions, vendors, and concert sets by more than two dozen national and local acts returns with the 2026 Mississippi Valley Fair, its August 4 through 9 engagement at Davenport's Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds boasting, as always, grandstand performances by chart-toppers, multi-platinum sellers, and multiple-award winners.