Taking place in three cities, two states, and nearly three dozen area locales, the popular summertime traveling festival Alternating Currents returns to Davenport, Bettendorf, and Rock Island from August 15 through 18 – a Quad Cities celebration of music, film, comedy, and the arts boasting more than 100 music performances, comedy sets, film screenings, local art displays, and even pro-wrestling.

Lauded by the New York Times as a comedian who "has done for peanut butter what Jerry Seinfeld did for Pop-Tarts and Jim Gaffigan did for Hot Pockets," nationally renowned standup Greg Warren kicks off this year's Alternating Currents festival with a headlining set at Davenport Capitol Theatre, his August 15 performance treating audiences to a night with the Bob & Tom Show favorite frequently heard on podcasts including Nateland, Never Not Funny, Bertcast, Dumb People Town, and The Adam Carolla Show.

Two venues in downtown Rock Island will co-host one exciting literary event when the Midwest Writing Center presents readings and a release party for the annual literary magazine The ATLAS, the latest volume of which will, on August 15, be showcased in a late-afternoon event at the Rock Island Public Library and an evening celebration at the neighboring Rozz-Tox.

Delivering a blend of local history, environmental issues, education, entertainment, and fresh air, Davenport's River Action will present a series of outdoor presentations in the third and final month of the 2024 Channel Cat Talks and Riverine Walks: weekly programs that, from August 6 through 31, will address such topics as plastic pollution, commercial fishing, the Quad City National Weather Service, and the Rock Island predecessor Farnhamsburg.