Monmouth, Illinois - Monmouth Business Council and Smithfield Foods, along with Cloverleaf Cold Storage will be hosting its first annual BaconFest Friday, August 7, 2015 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Monmouth's Public Square. Numerous food vendors from Monmouth will be serving tapas-style bacon creations, with dishes that include bacon-crusted sirloin bites, bacon cupcakes, sweet and spicy bacon sliders, candied bacon, spicy bacon mix, and bacon and cheese puffs. All food will be available at $3 a plate.

Food vendors come from a 60-mile radius and include : DJ & Son Woodfire Grill, Knox County Pork Producers, Cerar's Barnstormer, Petey's, Johnny's Steakhouse, Bijou Pub, Danny's Tap, Alfano's, The Kitchen, Sparky's Smoke Shack, Green Bay Bar and Grill, and Sween Intentions by the Morgans. All of the vendors have been provided a variety of bacon by Smithfield Foods and have been encouraged to expand their creativity to create tastes that please a variety of pallets.

A competition will be held and trophies provided by Achievement Industries will be given for "Judges Choice-Best in Show," and "Audience Choice-Best in Show."

In addition to sizzling bacon treats, Monmouth's DeNovo Beers and G&M will be present, serving a variety of cold beer and soda. Entertainment includes Tennessee's music sensation Blue Mother Tupelo from 6-8 p.m. Blue Mother Tupelo's soulful sound has shared shows and stage with many wonderfully gifted and successful recording and touring artists.

"Bacon 'n Play" will be hosted by the Buchannan Center for the Arts in the public square's southwest quadrant. Activities include : piglet snout creations, bacon flags, sidewalk chalk art, face painting, and story hour. Brain games and bacon swag will also be available for winning and/or purchase.

Entry for this family-welcoming event is free, with minimal pricing on food and drinks. "We wanted to do something that was really different and really fun for Monmouth and surrounding communities," said Paul Schuytema, director of economic development for the City of Monmouth. "A great deal of work has been put into this by a number of community leaders. We know that this will be an event that everyone continues to look forward to every year."

For more information on BaconFest 2015, contact Paul Schuytema at paul.schuytema@cityofmonmouth.com or 309.734.2141.

CHAMBER NEWSLETTER - SEPTEMBER ISSUE

The September 2015 LeClaire Chamber Newsletter will soon be in production to be printed and delivered to Every Business and Home within the 52753 zipcode area!! Advertising rates remain: 1/8 page: $75; ¼ page: $100; ½ page: $125; full page: $250. If you commit to all 4 quarterly issues, receive a 10% discount off each ad! Ads can be modified per issue. Just send your ad information to LeClaireChamber@gmail.com and we will forward it on to House of Print for you. Low cost assistance in developing an advertisement is available through House of Print. Deadline Friday August 7th, 5:00 p.m. Chamber Members - Get the word out about your business or events and be ready for Fall!

CALENDAR

Register now to take part in the 2015 Tug Fest 5K and 1 Mile Color Fun Run! When: August 15; Time: 8am; Where: Race starts and ends at Pleasant Valley Jr. High. There will be water stations on the race course and food and refreshments provided by Slagle's after the race.  Awards for top finishers. Early registrants receive a free T-Shirt! Find race registration information at www.tugfest.com

July 31^st - Wide River Winery - Live Music in the Courtyard - H.C. Wallace - 5-8p.m.

July 31^st -Aug 2nd - Princeton Days! Parade and City Wide Activities!

July 31st - FREE MOVIE NIGHT Zion Lutheran Church 204 Great River Road, Princeton - free lawn games and movie night for kids 7:00 -- 9:30 p.m. in conjunction with Princeton Days. Snacks and drinks will be provided while the children view the movie "Up". Join the fun while Mom and Dad spend time with friends on the River.

August 1st - Steventons is closed for a private party.

August 2^nd-6^th - Zion Lutheran Church - Princeton - Vacation Bible School - Climbing Mount Everest Embark on an icy expedition where kids overcome obstacles with God's awesome power. Anchor kids in rock-solid Bible truths that will guide them through life's challenges. All children 4 years old - entering 6th grade are welcome to attend.  For more information call Teresa Kraft at 563-289-5124 or 563-320-4546.

August 6^th - Blue Iguana - National Root Beer Float Day! Stop in to Blue Iguana for out adult version of a root beer float with the Wanna Chata!

August 7^th - First Friday in LeClaire 5-8pm

The Green Tree Brewery is opening and will be participating in First Friday.

Mississippi River Distilling Co. Fun food and cocktail sampling and Cody Road Barrel Aged Boetje's Mustard is back! Limit 2 jars per customer.

Blue Iguana - Salsa Night with DJ Flacko

Wide River Winery Wine tasting with live music by Lewis Knudsen from 5-8pm.

The Faithful Pilot Café & Spirits Live music, 7:30pm with Jordan Danielsen & Jef Spradley.

Bierstube - Great food and drink specials.

Steventon's Sunset Concert on the Deck - 6-9p.m. - Acoustic Project

Isabel Bloom - Celebrates 1 year Anniversary! 12% off entire purchase. LeClaire location and 8/7 only - open until 7.

Restaurant specials and many shops open late.

August 8^th - 9^th - The Princeton Players will be performing at the Princeton Community Center upper level theater on August 8th at 6:00 p.m. and on August 9th at 1:00 p.m.  There will be a one-act comedy play titled The Rehearsal, preceded by the High School Rock Group VanderVeer on the 8th, and the No Name High School Rock Group on the 9th.  Hot dogs, chips and drink will be available at the beginning of each performance and included in the ticket price of $12 for adults and teens and $7 for children 12 and under ($10 and $5 for Show only).  Concessions will also be available and separately priced.  Seating will be restaurant style rather than theater seating for this performance.  Tickets will be available at the door.

August 10^th-11^th - National Geographic Mississippi River Geotourism Community Outreach Meetings Jim Dion, Director of Tourism Projects, National Geographic Society, will return to the Quad Cities for a series of community outreach meetings, as a follow-up to the original meeting held here March 9-10. The community outreach meeting schedule follows:

Monday, Aug. 10, 5:30 p.m, LeClaire City Hall, 325 Wisconsin Street, LeClaire, Iowa

Tuesday, Aug. 11

8 a.m., Rogalski Center, Saint Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa

11 a.m., Bier Stube, 415 15th Street, Moline, Illinois

1:30 p.m., Establishment Theatre, 220 19th Street, Rock Island, Illinois

3:30 p.m., Isle Center, Isle Casino Complex, 1777 Isle Parkway, Bettendorf, Iowa

Each meeting will last about 90 minutes and will inform local residents and businesses about the National Geographic Mississippi River Geotourism Project. Special emphasis will be given on participation in the project and adding content to the geotourism website. Residents are invited to nominate local businesses, landmarks, attractions, activities, events and local foods by November 1, 2015 at mississippiriver.natgeotourism.com The completed website is set to be launched in August 2016. To RSVP or for more information, contact: Joe Taylor at jtaylor@visitquadcities.com or (309) 736-6820

August 13^th-15^th - Tug Fest! Carnival wristband night on Thursday. Parade and huge fireworks display on Friday evening. Saturday morning there is a 5K Run/1Mile Color Fun Run and kids' tug is at 11am. The main event, tug-of-war across the Mississippi River between LeClaire, Iowa and Port Byron, Illinois, is from 12:30-3:00pm on Saturday. Details can be found at www.tugfest.com

August 13th - 16th - Blue Iguana $2.50 cans through Tug Fest!

August 13^th - Ribbon Cutting - Abundant Health Chiropractic 878 Middle Creek Rd, Bettendorf. 11:30a.m. - Everyone Welcome!

August 14^th - Steventons Summer Sunset Concert on the Deck - Lewis Knudsen - 6-9pm

August 21^st - Steventons Summer Sunset Concert on the Deck - Jordan Danielson - 6-9pm

August 22^nd - LIVEFIT WITH LUPUS 2nd Annual Golf Outing 1pm - Palmer Hills, Bettendorf. $78 ($68 before Aug 1) includes cart, prizes, t-shirt, dinner following outing Contact Marcia@livefitwithlupus.org or getmeregistered.com

August 22^nd - MS Golf Outing - Hidden Hills Golf Course. 1pm. $70 person/ 4 person team.

Registration Includes: 18 holes of golf with cart, tee package with sleeve of Wilson golf balls, a koozie, a commemorative tee shirt,  participation in flag events with prizes and a scoring/awards party.  Dinner buffet and two complimentary drinks at the Bierstube following completion of play.

August 23^rd - Buffalo Bill Museum 1pm dedication of the 1939 Chris Craft display donated by the Suiter family in the River Pilot's Pier. Refreshments will be served.

August 25^th - Princeton Community Center - An Afternoon of Euchre beginning around 12:30 p.m.  Anyone interested in lunch can meet at 11:30 a.m. and we will order from Go Fish. Event co-sponsored by Zion Lutheran Church. Coffee and dessert included. No fee to play.

August 28th - Steventons Summer Sunset Concert on the Deck Louis Knudsen - 6-9pm

SAVE THE DATE

September 19^th - Twilight Dinner Cruise sponsored by the LeClaire Chamber of Commerce. Enjoy a prime rib dinner and three hour cruise. Board at 4:30pm; cruise leaves promptly at 5pm. Cost is $45 per person. Purchase tickets at LeClaire, Iowa banks - First Central State Bank or Black Hawk Bank & Trust. Call Debbie at 563-289-2265 for more information.

September 26^th - Oktoberfest Celebration in Colona. 2-7pm. Enjoy Bierstube food and beer. Live music from Austrian band. Join us at the Bierstube for our Oktoberfest & for more food, beer & live music! 8-11pm

FYI

The Green Tree Brewery is opening August 7, and will be participating in First Friday. 309 N. Cody Road. https://greentreebrewery.com/

Join Isabel Bloom on First Friday, August 7th as we celebrate our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY in LeClaire. As our gift to you, you will receive 12% OFF your entire purchase. Our LeClaire Showroom will be open until 7:00 PM so don't miss out! Offer is good 8/7/15 at our LeClaire location only.

All of August - Blue Iguana is having a School Supply Drive.  Please bring in any items you can to donate to local schools and when you do we'll give you $2 off of $10.

Ascentra Credit Union - Students in the Quad City metro area, Clinton and Muscatine will learn important entrepreneurship, financial literacy and work readiness skills, thanks to a generous grant of $50,000 from Ascentra Credit Union Foundation to implement Junior Achievement (JA) programs. This partnership will bring JA programming to students in kindergarten through 12th grade helping them learn important skills like creating a budget, becoming work-ready and developing a business plan. In addition, Ascentra Credit Union employees will continue to serve as JA classroom volunteers, as well as support other special events. The $50,000 grant will be distributed over a four-year period with support continuing through 2018-2019.

The following represent the recipients of the donations from the LeClaire Lions Club: LeClaire Police Department (purchase first body camera for the LeClaire Officers), LeClaire Fire Department, LeClaire Library, Buffalo Bill Museum, Princeton Fire Department, Camp Courageous, $1,000 college scholarship to PV senior, $500 puppy program - Leader Dog Program, Pleasant Valley Choral Department, and Cards for Troops. The Club also sponsors a Community Blood Drive and performs free vision screenings for all pre-school children at Bridgeview Elementary School. We thank all the LeClaire residents for their support over this past year.  We look forward to seeing everyone at the LeClaire Apple Fest on the levee in LeClaire on October 11, 2015.

Kiddie Karrasel, LeClaire - We are enrolling for Fall Pre-K for 4 year olds. Must be four by September 15. Extended care option available. 563-289-3946 www.kiddiekarraselacademy.com

Reusable Usables - Every Sunday at 1:30 RU features "Re-purposed Sunday Art" with a new re-purposed project each week!

Expressions in Threads - The Row by Row Experience is a nationwide event that runs from June 21st through September 8th in which participating shops create a unique quilt row created by each, individual shop, based on a central theme, this year's them is water. Customers can travel to participating shops like Expressions in Threads and collect the row we've created, along with our shop's license plate, specially designed for the Row by Row event. For more information, go to: http://www.expressionsinthreads.com/module/events.htm?year=2015&month=Jun&day=22&eventId=803020

First Presbyterian Church of LeClaire - Coming this fall: "A Nite for Nepal!" Watch for more info.

Princeton Community Center The fourth Wednesday of each month through October we will have An Afternoon of Euchre beginning around 12:30 p.m.  Anyone interested in lunch can meet at 11:30 a.m. and we will order from Go Fish (lunch is on their own) and have it delivered to the Center with Euchre to start after that. Zion Lutheran co-sponsors the event.  There will be coffee and dessert included.  There will be no fee to play, just enjoy a fun afternoon near the Mississippi.

Visit the LeClaire Chamber of Commerce website www.leclairechamber.com and see us on Facebook!

If you would like to attend a Chamber Board Meeting in order to present a topic, please contact the Board in advance at LeClaireChamber@gmail.com in order to be included an upcoming agenda. You will be contacted with confirmation of being included in the agenda. Board Meetings are held the 4^th Tuesday of each month, 8a.m. at LeClaire City Hall.

SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND

Pick up the new LeClaire information guide at the LeClaire Information Center. It has many photos and great information for everyone including residents, potential residents, visitors, realtors, relocation personnel, schools, and more! Summer hours have started: Monday-Saturday 10am-4pm; Sunday 1-4pm. 122 N. Cody Road. LIC Volunteers Needed! Contact Cindy Bruhn at info@visitleclaire.com or 563-650-7963 to volunteer.

PROPERTY LISTINGS

The shop building with upstairs apt. at 123 S Cody is for sale. For information please call D.R. Peterson at 563-289-5958.

Commercial Property for Rent - 1405 Eagle Ridge Road, LeClaire. 2,500 SF newly constructed office/retail space. Co-Tenant Snap Fitness. Owner will subdivide space. Private parking lot. ADA compliant. Contact: Meg Halligan, NAI Ruhl Commercial Company, mhalligan@ruhlcommercial.com, Office: 563-355-4000 Website Link: http://www.ruhlcommercial.com/Page/Property.aspx?mls=7032508

Commercial Property for Sale 613-617 N Cody Road, LeClaire IA 52753. Contact Jeff R. Heuer, NAI Ruhl Commercial Company, jheuer@ruhlcommercial.com, Office: 563-355-4000, Direct: 563-823-5107.

Commercial Property for Sale Cody Road, LeClaire IA 52753. Description: contact John G. Ruhl, NAI Ruhl Commercial Company, jruhl@ruhlcommercial.com, Office: 563-355-4000, Direct: 563-823-5126.

Commercial Property Available Eagle Ridge Road, LeClaire, Iowa. Please call: Mike Burke - Mel Foster Co. mburke@melforsterco.com, Mobile: 563-349-2705, Direct: 563-823-5272

Do you have Residential or Commercial property available? Please contact the LeClaire Chamber of Commerce, leclairechamber@gmail.com, with a property description, complete contact information including phone numbers and rental or purchase pricing.

LECLAIRE EVENTS COMING UP!

August 1^st - Heartland British Auto Fest - LeClaire Levee

August 29^th - Vettes on the River - LeClaire Levee

August 13-15 - Tug Fest

October 11 - LeClaire Apple Fest 11am to 4pm on the LeClaire Levee.  More to come!

CHAMBER NETWORKING EVENTS - EVERYONE WELCOME!

August 11^th - McDonald's - Breakfast - 8a.m.

September 8^th - Steventon's - Evening Event - 5:30p.m.

October 13^th - Bierstube - Lunch - noon

(Rock Island, IL) Ya Maka My Weekend - Reggae in the District returns on Friday, August 14, and Saturday, August 15, 2015. This unique two-night festival brings the atmosphere of the Caribbean islands to downtown Rock Island.

Ya Maka My Weekend, one of The District's signature events, will be held on the Great River Plaza, Seconnd Avenue between 17th and 19th Streets, in downtown Rock Island, IL. Admission prices are $9 for a  one-night ticket and $14 for a two-night ticket, and children 12 and under enter free. Ya Maka My Weekend will start at 5 p.m. on Friday, and 3 p.m. on Saturday.

What makes Ya Maka My Weekend so unique is the island vibe that you get the minute you walk through the gates. The aromas of Caribbean food will drift through the leaves of live palm trees, while reggae music captivates your ears. Eleven food vendors will be serving a variety of dishes, including authentic Caribbean food. You will want to stop in at the open-air market place and find something special to take home. Another distinctive characteristic about Ya Maka My Weekend is that it is set in the middle of downtown, allowing for a free-flow of people from festival to entertainment establishment to art gallery to restaurant and back to the festival. It also means that if the weather is inclement, you can head inside for a break, and never leave the fest grounds!

Local rock/reggae band Rude Punch will start the music off each night with a performance starting at 5:30 p.m. Friday evening and 3:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon. The music will continue on two stages, featuring a variety of reggae bands, until 12:30 a.m. both Friday and Saturday nights. Dubtonic Kru will take the stage at 7:45 p.m. on Saturday night. Dubtonic Kru has developed a new breed of Jamaican music featuring heavy basslines, one drops, psychedelic guitar riffs, echoing keyboards, popping percussion, and conscious lyrics. In 2010 Dubtonic Kru was honored by the United States House of Representatives and presented with a Congressional Proclamation for their contributions through music to varying communities. Dubtonic Kru continues to give medicine to audiences through outstanding performances locally and across the world.

A strong connection to Jamaica will come from the Augustana Jamaica Program, who will be volunteering at one of the beverage stations and also at the merchandise to fundraise for three schools located in Jamaica (Alpha Boys School, Alpha Academy, and Alpha Primary). Participants in the Augustana Jamaica Program learn about the island and its culture, travel to Jamaica, and engage in voluntary, service-learning work with inner-city Kingston students through placements in three schools run by the Convent of Mercy. The Alpha Boys School has been referred to as "roots of reggae" by British Broadasting Company, because of the long list of prominent Jamaican musicians coming from the school. Leave them a tip, and support these schools in Jamaica!

Friday, August 14

Plaza Stage

5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Rude Punch

7:45 - 9:15 p.m. Jumbies

10:00 - 11:15 p.m. Irie Trinity

11:30 - 12:30 a.m. Indika

Jumer's Stage

6:30 - 8:00 Ifficial Reggae Movement

8:45 - 10:15 p.m. Gizzae

11:00 - 12:30 a.m. Lazo

Saturday, August 15

Plaza Stage

3:30 - 6:00 p.m. Rude Punch

6:45 - 7:45 p.m. DiMachine

10:00 - 11:15 p.m. Gizzae

11:30 - 12:30 a.m. Lazo

Jumer's Stage

4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Irie Trinity

6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Indika

7:45 - 10:15 p.m. Dubtonic Kru

11:00 - 12:30 a.m. The Flex Crew

Ya Maka My Weekend is presented by The District, and sponsored by Jumer's Casino & Hotel, Holiday Inn Rock Island, WHBF, Dispatch/Argus, Rexroat Sound, Dphilms, River Cities Reader, Guitar Center, and Hi-Nee Huts.

For more information call (309) 788-6311 or visit www.yamakamyweekend.com and www.ridistrict.com.

The Downtown Rock Island Arts & Entertainment District (The District) is a 501(c)6 not-for-profit organization established in 1992 by local downtown merchants. The District's mission is to establish and manage downtown Rock Island as a creative and innovative experience by focusing on the development of the arts and quality special event management. It features retail shops, excellent restaurants, live entertainment, dinner theater, art galleries, and several entertainment venues. Rock Island is located on the Mississippi River, three hours west of Chicago in an area known as the Quad Cities which straddles the river and the Illinois/Iowa border. It is at the intersection of Interstate highways 74, 88, and 80 and is served by the Quad City International Airport in Moline, IL.

##