“Dancing in the Streets” Streetfest
Friday, June 1, and Saturday, June 2
Village of East Davenport
Pride Week Activities
Sunday, June 3, through Saturday, June 9
Various Quad Cities Locations
Presented by Quad Cities Fall Pride, QC Pride, the Quad Cities Queer Committee, and numerous other area organizations, businesses, and venues, nearly a dozen events are scheduled in celebration of 2018 Quad Cities Unity Pride Week, which will boast nine days of activities and entertainment including a parade, film screenings, a race through downtown Davenport and, on June 1 and 2, a festival in the Village of East Davenport.
Titled “Dancing in the Streets,” the Saturday and Sunday Streetfest – a Quad Cities Fall Pride fundraiser presented by Quad Cities Fall Pride and Baked Beer & Bread Co. – will feature live music, food vendors, DJs, a dunk tank, information booths by area non-profits, burlesque, a bags tournament, and more. With $5 admission for the entire weekend, the family-friendly Streetfest will also showcase the talents of the Icons Drag Show, featuring some of the country's finest impersonators of artists including Beyoncé, Cher, Janet Jackson, and Whitney Houston.
On June 3, Pride Week events kick off with a noon to 5 p.m. Family Day at Davenport's Centennial Park, which will boast outdoor games and a potluck picnic. That evening, at the Putnam Museum & Science Center, the Giant Screen will boast a 7 p.m. screening of the 2017 comedy/drama Freak Show, a coming of age tale with cast members including Emmy nominee Laverne Cox and Oscar nominees Abigail Breslin and Bette Midler. June 4 brings with it Open Mic Comedy at Baked Beer & Bread Co., with Michelle Royal and Tee LeShourne serving as hosts and 20 percent of food sales going to QC Pride. And on June 5, Davenport's J Bar will host its “A Taste of Pride Wine Dinner” featuring a silent auction and four-course wine pairing.
QC Pride hosts June 6's Pink Squirrel Pub Crawl starting at 5 p.m., with participants encouraged to grab a drink before heading to downtown Davenport for The Fast and The Fabulous Drag Race on Third Street, a push/pull-cart race with participants competing head-to-head in a bracket-style tournament. The Emmy-nominated documentary We Were Here will enjoy a 5 p.m. Figge Art Museum screening on June 7, with Jenny Lynn Stacy & the Dirty Roosters headlining a Pre-Parade Party in the District of Rock Island on June 8. The morning of June 9 will feature a Pride Brunch at Davenport's Radisson hotel, with 10 percent of food sales benefiting QC Pride. And Pride Week will conclude on June 9 with the 2018 Quad Cities Unity Pride Parade, a noon march from downtown Davenport to the District of Rock Island in support of the Quad Cities' LGBTQ community.
For more information and a full schedule of 2018 Quad Cities Unity Pride Week events, visit QCUnityPride.org.
