A star of film and television whose DVD for his 2006 Comedy Central special became the first to achieve platinum-sales status, comedian/writer/actor Carlos Mencia takes the stage at Davenport's Rhythm City Casino Resort Event Center on August 11, the latest stop on a busy fall tour that will take the comic from Iowa to California to New York to Florida.

From August 8 through 10, an eagerly awaited summertime tradition will take place both on and in between the LeClaire and Port Byron Levees, as the 33rd Annual 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.

Two eagerly awaited outdoor events are set to take place in downtown Davenport July 26 and 27, with the 48th Annual Street Fest energizing crowds on Friday and Saturday, and Saturday morning bringing with it the 45th Annual Quad-City Times Bix 7, the challenging summertime foot race that has captivated runners from all over the world.

Chart-toppers, multi-platinum sellers, multiple-award winners, and more are set to electrify crowds as the grandstand entertainment for the July 30 through August 4 Mississippi Valley Fair, the eagerly awaited six-day festival boasting games, competitions, vendors, and concert sets by more than two dozen national and local acts.

Local and national writing talents will combine their literary gifts for one special night at Rock Island's Rozz-Tox on July 18, with the evening's SPECTRA readings – co-presented by the Midwest Writing Center – treating attendees to spoken-word performances by emerging area authors as well as critically acclaimed poets Adam Fell, MC Hyland, Christine Kanownik, and Becca Klaver.

Exhibits, displays, games, cookouts, fireworks, local and national country musicians, and even a beauty contest for trucks will be on hand in the 40th Annual Walcott Truckers Jamboree, the July 11 through 13 event held at the Iowa 80 Truck Stop in celebration of America's big rigs and those who drive them.

Five days of outdoor fun will be on hand when East Moline's Rock Island Country Fairgrounds hosts the annual Rock Island County Fair July 16 through 20, offering patrons mornings, afternoons, and evenings filled with carnival rides, games, food vendors, animal shows, racing tournaments, and exciting events scheduled for the nights' grandstand entertainment.

Designed to bring some serious swing into the summer, the 2019 John Deere Classic makes its annual return to Silvis' TPC at Deere Run from July 8 through July 14, with this professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour an annual thrill for golf fans landing the week before the start of the British Open.

Presented by QC Pride and numerous other area organizations, businesses, and venues, more than a half-dozen inclusive events are scheduled in celebration of 2019 Quad Cities Unity Pride Week, which, from June 22 through 29, will boast nine days of activities and entertainment including a parade, a film screening, a pageant, a pub crawl, and, on June 28 and 29, a festival in downtown Davenport.

Authors of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and more will share their talents and help strengthen the talents of others during the Midwest Writing Center's annual David R. Collins Writers Conference at Davenport's St. Ambrose University, a June 27 through 29 celebration of the written word boasting workshops, readings, book pitches, and more.

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