Presented on August 25 as the latest presentation in the Davenport venue's popular "Kaffee und Kuchen" series, The Graf Zeppelin: 95th Anniversary Over Davenport will find the German American Heritage Center delivering an insightful and engaging program on the famed passenger-carrying, hydrogen-filled rigid airship that flew from 1928 to 1937, as stands as the world's first commercial transatlantic passenger flight service.

A hilarious and affecting stage presentation in Galesburg's Summer FUN-Raising Series, comedian and radio personality Greg Batton's one-man show Life. In Boxes. enjoys an August 24 presentation at the Orpheum Theatre, the show's star offering an invitation to view some of the memories and moments that have helped define his life – and maybe experiences that will reflect yours, as well.

An eagerly awaited day of outdoor fun culminating in an attempt to break a pair of Guinness World Records is set for August 17, when River Action hosts the 15th-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.”

With her bestseller Remarkably Bright Creatures lauded by Book Marks as “a truly tender masterpiece” that is “whimsical, immersive, and vibrantly written,” acclaimed author Shelby Van Pelt will take part in a virtual author talk hosted by the Bettendorf Public Library on August 21, her debut novel noted for selling more than 1.4 million copies and reappearing on the New York Times bestseller list a year-and-a-half after its initial release.

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.

A longtime Saturday Night Live veteran and one of the country's most popular comedians brings his national tour to Davenport's Capitol Theatre on August 11 when the venue hosts an evening with Pete Davidson, the 30-year-old multi-hyphenate talent whose credits beyond SNL range from the feature films Fast X and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to the comedy specials Alive from New York and this year's Turbo Fonzarelli.

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.

With Bethel AME proud to present its Christian-comedy family event on August 10, an evening of inspiration and hilarity will take place at Davenport's Adler Theatre in Have a Good Laugh, this showcase for headliner Tanya Lewis also featuring sets by funnyman Jonnie W. and musical guest Amiria Duncan.

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.

From August 8 through 10, an eagerly awaited summertime tradition returns both on and in between the LeClaire and Port Byron Levees, as the 2024 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.

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