Architecture of Downtown Davenport Tour

Curious about the historic buildings in downtown Davenport? Join the Figge Art Museum on Saturday, May 10th at 1:30 pm for an hour-long walking tour that features buildings like J.H.C. Petersen's Sons Store (1892) and the Putnam Building (1910). The tour will explore the style and meaning of these buildings in context with Davenport's historic period of economic development. The tour will conclude at the Figge Art Museum with a discussion of the meaning of David Chipperfield's design for the Quad Cities community. Please wear comfortable shoes. Guests are welcome to bring their own beverage or the museum will provide bottled water. Check in with the museum store before the tour. www.figgeartmuseum.org

VW Car Show

Attention All Bug Enthusiasts! Not entomologists, but Volkswagen lovers! The German American Heritage Center and the Bi-State Volkswagen Club will be holding a VW Car Show on Saturday, May 10th from 10am-2pm in the GAHC parking lot in Davenport. See unique, vintage, and restored Beetles, Microbuses, and kit cars! Brat stand on site! Don't miss this free event! www.gahc.org

Then on Sunday treat your mom to a day at the German American Heritage Center!  It's free admission for moms and grandmas & a special treat for you both! Must accompany one paid admission or GAHC member.

Beaux Arts Fair

Discover the treasures at the free Beaux Arts Fair as artists come from across the country to set up shop on the Figge Art Museum Plaza, 225 West 2nd Street in downtown Davenport, Iowa.  The Beaux Arts Fair is Saturday, May 10 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, May 11 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. www.beauxartsfair.com

Admission to the fair is free and the Figge is offering $2 admission to the museum all weekend long. This year, Beaux Arts Fair and Mother's Day share a weekend, so to celebrate the museum is offering FREE admission to all moms on Sunday for Mother's Day. Treat your mom to a full day of fun free of charge. www.figgeartmuseum.org

Family Health and Wellness Fair

The Family Museum in Bettendorf is excited to be partnering with local organizations to provide our guests with the latest information about healthy family living. From exercising to saving money, families will discover lots of new ideas for fun and healthy activities in the QCA on Saturday, May 10th from 9 am-12 noon at Faye's Field right next door to the Family Museum. Free admission. www.familymuseum.org

Venus Envy

Venus Envy Quad Cities, a festival and art exhibit celebrating women in the arts, will be held Saturday, May 10th from 6 to 10 p.m. both inside and outside Bucktown Center for the Arts (225 E. 2nd St.) in downtown Davenport. The visual art exhibit is open May 7-23, 2014. The event is free; donations are encouraged. www.venusenvyqc.org

Those of us in tourism usually talk in superlatives but it's no exaggeration that the Quad Cities will be the epicenter of tourism in Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois during National Travel & Tourism Week on May 3-11, 2014, as we celebrate $7.6 billion in visitor spending in Iowa and $29 billion in Illinois.

Iowa's Power of Tourism motorcoach will make a stop at the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum at the Iowa 80 Truckstop in Walcott from  11:15 to 11:45 a.m. on Monday, May 5th.  This eye-catching motorcoach is making a 2,000 mile, 9-day visit across Iowa to showcase how vital tourism is to Iowa's economy.  You are invited to attend! www.traveliowa.com/epiciowaroadtrip

Then from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7th, the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum will host the Eastern Iowa Tourism Association general membership meeting.  Nearly 100 tourism promoters from throughout Eastern Iowa will meet to discuss ways to promote Iowa and hear Dublin, Ohio, CVB Director Scott Dring speak on "License to Steal."

Join the Quad Cities CVB for the Grand Opening & Ribbon Cutting for the new Visitor Center location at the Quad  City International Airport in Moline at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 8th.  The new location is near baggage claim. Refreshments and parking validation provided.

All of this follows the Quad Cities hosting nearly 75 international tour operators and journalists on FAM (familiarization) tours who attended IPW in Chicago in early April.

The U.S. Travel Association reports that visitors to Scott County, Iowa and Rock Island County, Illinois generated total direct expenditures of $810 million; $40 million in state taxes; $12.8 million in local taxes; and 7,680 jobs with a total payroll of $142 million.

That's the Power of Tourism!

The Quad Cities River Bandits' opening day is Thursday, April 3, at the #1 Minor League Ballpark in the country, according to USA Today. Modern Woodmen Park in downtown Davenport, Iowa, is consistently ranked among the top minor league ballparks for its stunning view of the Mississippi River.

Niabi Zoo opens on Monday, April 7, 2014, for their season. Get a passport to Africa to see the graceful giraffes, the King of the Jungle lion, colobus monkeys and more, or take an Australian Walkabout with wallabies and lorikeets. Visit the Jungle Trek for hands-on activities about rainforests and the place for frog-lovers. Niabi Zoo, 13010 Niabi Zoo Rd. in Coal Valley, Ill., is open daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and longer hours in the summer.

The 850-person capacity Celebration Belle riverboat starts its cruises the first week of April. It is the largest non-gaming luxury excursion vessel on the upper Mississippi River. The boat offers lunch and dinner cruises, big band cruises, sightseeing, and specialty cruises. Contact 800-297-0034 or celebrationbelle.com for its schedule and more information.

The Twilight riverboat offers two-day overnight cruises from LeClaire, Iowa, to Dubuque, Iowa. Cruises include all meals, activities, and lodging.

Walnut Grove was a Scott County cross-roads settlement and stage coach stop in the 1860s. The Walnut Grove Pioneer Village now includes 18 historic buildings to tour, some relocated from rural Scott County. It is open daily April through October 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Village is located in Scott County Park, 18817 290th Street, Long Grove, Iowa.

According to folklore, springtime is the BEST season for pixie spotting! Children are invited to the Pixie Tea on Sunday, April 6th from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at the Quad City Botanical Center in Rock Island, Ill. In the lush enchanted garden, find tea and pixie treats. There will be magical crafts for the children and the gift of a pixie wand for remembering the day! (Reservations are required.)

Ballet Quad Cities premieres their interpretation of Igor Stravinsky's famous Rite of Spring, one of the most inspiring and challenging ballets ever written. International renowned director and choreographer Elie Lazar will also premier his new piece set to Appalachian Spring. Performances are Saturday, April 12 at 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. with live music provided by Orchestra Iowa at the Adler Theatre, 136 E. 3rd Street in Davenport, Iowa.

Join in the inaugural Tour de Brew of the Quad Cities on Saturday, April 12. Registration starts at 12 noon at the Front Street Tap Room at the Freight House, 421 W. River Dr. in Davenport. This bicycle ride follows the bike trail to visit 5 different stops before returning to Front Street by 5 p.m. It's a poker ride format with a donation of your choosing to the LIVESTRONG Foundation.

Look for spring crafts at the German American Heritage Center in Davenport on Saturday, April 12, during their Eiermarkt (Egg Market) and Spring Craft Fair. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Local and regional vendors sell their springtime wares including decorated eggs, carvings, baked goods, and more!

Celebrate with the Easter Egg Scramble 5K Run on Saturday, April 19. The 9:00 a.m. start/finish is in the Historic Village of East Davenport. Those who choose to run or walk the event will receive a swag bag. Brunch-style breakfast items will be available along with your typical refreshments. A live band rocks the 11th Street Precinct, and don't forget photos with the Easter Bunny. There is also an Easter Egg Hunt for children 8 years of age and younger.

The annual free Stroll Through Springtime is Saturday, April 26th from 7:00 a.m. until noon at the Black Hawk State Historic Site, 1510 46th Ave. in Rock Island, Ill. All events are free, and participants can come for any or all of the events. Birds will be the focus of groups going in the field from 7-9 a.m. Expert leaders will help to locate both resident and migratory birds. At 9 a.m., enjoy refreshments inside the Lodge, including wild violet jelly and a short program about invasive plants. At 10:00 a.m., participants will walk outside to observe and identify wildflowers.