The literary gifts of more than a dozen area teens will be both celebrated and showcased in a special outdoor event on August 18, with the Rock Island venue Rozz-Tox hosting a release party for the Midwest Writing Center's 17th edition of literary journal THE ATLAS, an evening boasting performances of original work by 14 gifted and burgeoning talents.

An eagerly awaited day of outdoor fun culminating in an attempt to break a pair of Guinness World Records is set for August 20, when River Action hosts the 13th-annual celebration of paddle sports Floatzilla, with participants and spectators gathering at Rock Island's Sunset Park to see if the Quad Cities can boast the world's “Largest Raft of Canoes and Kayaks” and “Largest Simultaneous Kayak Launch.”

A popular touring comedian, author, podcaster, and avid sports fan. Steve Hofstetter serves as the latest standup to play Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Rhythm Room, the native New Yorker's August 14 set sure to deliver a night of serious laughs with the funnyman admired from outlets as varied as the New York Times, ESPN, the Billboard comedy charts, and Sports Illustrated.

From August 11 through 13, an eagerly awaited summertime tradition returns both on and in between the LeClaire and Port Byron Levees, as the 2022 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.

One of American history's most famous Iowans serves as the subject for a special live solo performance on August 14 when Davenport's German American Heritage Center presents Grant Wood: Prairie Rebel, author/star Tom Mulligan's exploration into the life of the Anamosa native best-known for painting the 1930 masterpiece American Gothic.

With Davenport one of the 100 cities in which she'll stop on her current Big Panty Tour, Leanne Morgan brings her evening of standup to the Adler Theatre on August 12, the comedian of 22 years beloved for her albums Sweaty & Pissed: Menopause & More and You'd Be Crazy, Too!, as well as her hit comedy special So Yummy.

Held in honor of the City of Moline's Sesquicentennial, Moline Preservation Society Board member Brandon Tidwell will, on August 3, treat Moline Public Library patrons to three-quarters of the century worth of local history, sharing a fascinating tale of entrepreneurship and growth titled Molette: The American Dream Realized in Moline – Celebrating 75 years of Affordable Housing.

Returning to the area for its incredible 102nd 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 2022 Mississippi Valley Fair, its August 2 through 7 engagement at Davenport's Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds boasting grandstand performances by chart-toppers, multi-platinum sellers, and multiple-award winners.

Delivering a blend of local history, environmental issues, education, entertainment, and fresh air, Davenport's River Action is again presenting a series of outdoor presentations in the final month of the annual Channel Cat Talks and Riverine Walks: weekly programs that, from August 3 through September 1, will address such topics as improvements to the Lock & Dam 15, green rooftops, the area's German-American heritage, and jazz masters Bix Beiderbecke and Louie Bellson.

With most presentations in the Davenport Public Library's 3rd Thursday at Hoover's Presidential Library & Museum series have focused on people, the virtual July 21 event will instead focus on a specific place, with participants invited to explore the possibilities that lie ahead in A Behind the Scenes Look at the Hoover Library Renovation.

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