With the Midwest Writing Center's literary magazine THE ATLAS celebrating the publication of its 20th volume, a release party, open-mic night, and DJ set honoring the Young Emerging Writers (YEW) program will be held at Rock Island venue Rozz-Tox on August 14, the evening boasting readings from YEW alumni and copies of new and back issues of THE ATLAS available for purchase.

On August 20 at the Moline Public Library, guests are invite to bring an appetite for sizzling storytelling when the library presents an online author talk with Casey McQuiston, the writer's program "Returning to Romance Through Food & Flirty Fun in Fiction" a virtual hour with the New York Times bestselling author of Red, White, and Royal Blue and last year's acclaimed romantic comedy The Pairing.

River Action’s fun Floatzilla event is roaring back for its 16th year, and it's bigger than ever.

With the program offered as part of the Davenport venue's popular "Kaffee und Kuchen" series, Iowa City-based artists, collectors, and educators David and Sarojini Johnson engage in an August 10 gallery talk on their current German American Heritage Center exhibit, the couple having spent decades sharing and practicing the art of printmaking, each with their own unique vision and inspiration.

Two hundred years ago, pioneers created Henry County, and in honor of this occasion, the Bishop Hill Chautauqua, on August 9, will look back at the people who impacted Henry County history, the events at the Bishop Hill Gazebo including storytellers, historians, and musicians performing first-person portrayals of famous historical figures.

Taking place in three cities, two states, and more than 40 area locales, the popular summertime traveling festival Alternating Currents returns to Davenport, Bettendorf, and Rock Island from August 14 through 17 – a Quad Cities celebration of music, film, comedy, and the arts boasting more than 200 music performances, comedy sets, film screenings, local art displays, and family activities.

From August 7 through 9, an eagerly awaited summertime tradition returns both on and in between the LeClaire and Port Byron Levees, as the 2025 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.

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 2025 Channel Cat Talks and Riverine Walks: weekly programs that, from August 5 through 30, will address such topics as the U.S. Coast Guard, area water quality, the Quad Cities' locks and dams, and spooky tales of Nahant Marsh.

From July 19 through January 4, guests of Davenport's German American Heritage Center are invited to explore themes of nostalgia, community, nature, and perspective in the wonderful collection The Prints of David & Sarojini Johnson.

A massive display of one of the venue's six collections storerooms, the long-awaited open-storage locale The Vault will be officially viewable at Davenport's Putnam Museum & Science Center beginning July 19. its shelves featuring countless pieces of fine China dinner sets, 16th-century saddles, a ship wheel, turn-of-the-century furniture, and a full-sized shrine.

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