Held in conjunction with the October 4 through 10 Banned Books Week – a celebration of our collective freedom to read – the Midwest Writing Center's and Rock Island Public Library's annual Banned Books Read-In will take place on October 5, with more than a dozen participants gathering at the library's Watts-Midtown Branch to read from frequently challenged works and unite in the fight against censorship.

A family-friendly celebration designed to support environmental education and conservation in our community, the Fourth-Annual Nahant Marsh Fall Festival will be held at the Davenport preserve on October 3, the day's guests invited to enjoy a crisp autumn day surrounded by nature, fun activities, and great food all while supporting a great cause.

Founded in 2015 by the Quad Cities Cybersecurity Alliance and presented by the Docent Institute, the 12th-annual CornCon – an event designed to raise community awareness and provide business solutions for dealing with cybersecurity threats – will boast breakout sessions, expert speakers, panels, tutorials, vendors, a tech expo, children's activities, awards presentations, and more on October 2 and 3, this year's Davenport RiverCenter event titled The 12 Chaos Monkeys of Cyber.

On October 1, guests of Davenport's Common Chord are invited to taste-test the best the Quad Cities has to offer with the eagerly anticipated, fourth-annual QC Flavor Fest, this fundraiser for music-education programs boasting a concert with Chicago Farmer, auction items, prizes, and some of the most mouth-watering delicacies available anywhere in the Midwest.