Taking place in two states and among more than 40 local venues, the popular summertime traveling festival Alternating Currents returns to downtown Davenport and other Quad Cities locales from August 13 through 17 – an area-wide 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 13 through 15, an eagerly awaited summertime tradition returns both on and in between the LeClaire and Port Byron Levees, as the 2026 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.

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, the city's The Last Picture House will host the August 12 event TEDxDavenport, a local, self-organized event that brings people together to share a TED-like experience, and that will find six gifted speakers – including Quad Cities residents – sparking deep discussion and connection through a number of fascinating subjects.

The latest event in the German American Heritage Center's popular “Kaffee und Kuchen” series, Cornbelt Camouflage Experts: The Untold Role of Iowans in Modern Camouflage will be presented on August 9, Dr. Roy Behrens delivering a richly illustrated slide talk about the little-known involvement in modern camouflage by artists, architects, stage designers, and scientists, a surprising number of whom were originally from Iowa.

Performing blues-rock that, according to Blues Blast Magazine, delivers a sound "loaded with explosive, steady-driving fretwork" and "a heavy beat and a voice to match," genre great Hughes Taylor performs an August 2 concert sponsored by the Mississippi Valley Blues Society, his Pour Bros. Craft Taproom set treating fans to what Creative Loafing called "a fiery brand of blues-rock whose power trio lineage stretches back to Stevie Ray Vaughan, Cream and Jimi Hendrix."

With his professional laurels including three Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, and 14 Country Music Association Awards, country-music superstar Brad Paisley headlines the first grandstand concert at this year's Mississippi Valley Fair, his August 4 engagement treating fans to such chart-topping smashes as "He Didn't Have to Be," "Mud on the Tires," "Water," and "Remind Me."

The recipient of four Grammy Awards, 13 CMAs (including two for Entertainer of the Year), 15 ACMs (including the prestigious Triple Crown for Best New Artist, Male Vocalist, and Entertainer of the Year), three AMAs, and two People’s Choice Awards, country-music superstar Keith Urban headlines the August 5 grandstand concert at the Mississippi Valley Fair, the artist having also celebrated nine consecutive gold, platinum, or multi-platinum albums which, combined, have resulted in more than 11 billion streams.

With both artists having enjoyed top-10 Billboard successes (and songs in the horror smash Scream 7) over the past 13 months, ascending country-pop stars Jessie Murph and Stella Lefty jointly headline the Mississippi Valley Fair grandstand concert on August 6, the former's Sex Hysteria a popular and critical hit last July, and the latter's Is This Heaven? released to great acclaim this past May.

Returning to Davenport on July 31 with three internationally revered tribute artists, The Ultimate Elvis Experience will deliver a thrilling celebration of Presley's music and magic with featured headliner Shawn Klush, this stage spectacle having spent numerous years captivating audiences around the globe.

Paying homage to one of the most iconic rock bands of all time, the touring sensation To the Limit: The Ultimate Eagles Experience lands at Davenport's Adler Theatre on August 1, the band devoted to recreating the timeless sound and spirit of The Eagles, and capturing the essence of their music with remarkable precision.

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