The Quad Cities—consisting of Moline, East Moline, and Rock Island on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River and Davenport and Bettendorf on the Iowa side—offer an outstanding array of activities, attractions, and events. Here are three ways to take advantage of everything the area has to offer.
Local attractions
The Quad Cities are home to famed agricultural manufacturer John Deere, and the company’s Eero Saarinen-designed headquarters sits on 1,400 acres of land on the east side of Moline. In the city’s downtown, the John Deere Pavilion features hands-on exhibits and allows visitors to get up close and personal with the massive machines manufactured by the company. Baseball lovers shouldn’t miss Davenport’s Modern Woodmen Park, which is consistently named one of the best minor-league ballparks in America. Uncover hidden finds at Antique Archaeology in nearby LeClaire, Iowa, where the “American Pickers” of TV fame got their start.
Find more Quad Cities attractions here.
Events
The Quad Cities are also home to some notable events that take advantage of the Mississippi riverfront. TugFest is a cross-river tug of war between 10 20-person teams: one side based in LeClaire, Iowa, and the other based in Port Byron, Illinois. The Quad Cities Symphony Orchestra’s Riverfront Pops brings live music to the banks of the Mississippi River in LeClaire, and Floatzilla is the largest paddle event on the river, attracting more than 1,000 participants and shutting down the Mississippi to commercial watercraft for the day.
Find more events in the Quad Cities here.
Foodie finds
Don’t forget the food! The Quad Cities are home to delicious restaurants and one-of-a-kind festivals that are sure to satisfy any appetite. Classic ice cream parlor Lagomarcino’s has locations in Moline and Davenport. Mercado on Fifth is a summertime night market in downtown Moline that features taco trucks, kids’ games, live Latino, music, and more. Farmer’s market fans will find hundreds of vendors at Davenport’s Freight House Farmers’ Market, which runs year-round (the outdoor market runs from May to October).
Discover more Quad Cities flavors here.
