Quad Cities plans fireworks and celebrations for this year’s 4th of July

Quad Cities – It’s going to be a Red, White, and Blue long weekend in the Quad Cities. There is a plethora of activities to put you in the patriotic mood.

Celebrate America’s birthday on the Mississippi riverfront Tuesday, July 3, 2018, during Red White & Boom! The festival features the largest fireworks display from Chicago to Denver at 9:30 p.m. in the Quad Cities shot from two barges over the Mississippi along with family events on the Davenport, Iowa, and Rock Island, Illinois, downtown riverfronts. Admission is free to Modern Woodmen Park, 209 S. Gaines St. in downtown Davenport, Iowa, LeClaire Park, 400 Beiderbecke Dr. in downtown Davenport, Iowa, and Schwiebert Riverfront Park, 17^th Street in downtown Rock Island, Illinois.

Red, White and Boom! festivities begin at 5:00 p.m. at Schwiebert Riverfront Park in Rock Island with inflatables, kid’s activities, live music, and food vendors. Festivities begin at 5:00 p.m. at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport with kid’s activities, live music, and an Oath of Enlistment ceremony. LeClaire Park has live music starting at 7 p.m. For more event details and schedules, please visit www.RedWhiteandBoomQC.org

The Bettendorf 4^th of July Celebration starts Tuesday night with music from Iowa-native and The Voice contestant Adam Cunningham. The music starts at 5 p.m. and Adam takes the stage at 9 p.m. On Wednesday, July 4 kicks off the fun with a parade at 10 a.m. in downtown Bettendorf, Iowa. Then the celebration continues at Cumberland Square, 2300 Spruce Hills Drive. Opening ceremonies begin at 12 noon, followed by live music, food vendors, arts & crafts booths, petting zoo, amusement rides, inflatables, rock climbing wall, zip line, fishing derby, and more! Then watch the Quad City Parachute Team and the fireworks at dusk shooting from Middle Park, 2220 23^rdStreet. For more information, call 563-344-4000 or visit www.bettendorf.org.

In East Moline, Illinois, on Tuesday, July 3, watch the fireworks beginning at approximately 9:00 p.m. from The Quarter, 7^th Street and the Mississippi riverfront. Parking and shuttle service will begin at 6:30 p.m. from the nearby John Deere Harvester parking lot. Food and beverages will be available for purchase, and at 7 p.m. live music begins. Bring the kids along for face painting and a bounce house or bring some lawn chairs with you and enjoy the evening. Then the 36th annual 4^th of July Firecracker Run (www.firecrackerrun.com) begins Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. Options include: 5K run/walk, 10K run or relay, Kiddie Run, 1-mile, and Hospital Bed Races. Concessions and live bands line the route. At 1:00 p.m., watch the AMVETS 4^th of July Parade that goes through the downtown along 15^th Ave. For more information, call 563-275-8749 or visit www.emmainstreet.com

On Wednesday, July 4, bring your frog at 9 a.m. for the frog jumping contest at 10 a.m. in Aledo’s Central Park, 100 NE 3^rd Street in Aledo, Illinois. Then enjoy a free ice cream social at the Mercer County Fairgrounds, 848 170^th Street, followed by fireworks at dusk. For more information, contact 309-582-5373 or www.aledomainstreet.com

On Wednesday, July 4 at 6:30 p.m., watch the special holiday Backwater Gamblers Waterski Show. The free one-hour, fun-filled family show is a themed performance combining skits, music, dance, and water-skiing. A most amazing sight is to see skiers pull together to build a huge pyramid formation in the air and continue water-skiing. The show takes place at Ben Williamson Park in Rock Island, Illinois, located at 5000 44^th Street and the Rock River. www.backwatergamblers.com

Looking to spice your Fourth of July weekend up with some sports actions? The Quad City River Bandits have a baseball game Wednesday, July 4 at 6:35 p.m. at Modern Woodman Park, 209 S. Gaines St. in downtown Davenport, Iowa. After the River Bandits play Beloit, stay in your seats for a fireworks show over the Mississippi River! The River Bandits have home games each night until July 9.

Discover these and many more marvels on the Mississippi River in the Quad Cities. Contact the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-747-7800 or visit their website at www.visitquadcities.com.

The Quad Cities is located on the Mississippi River and is made up of the riverfront cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Moline, East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois. The area is just a 2-½ hour drive from Des Moines, Iowa, and Chicago, Illinois. It is easily accessible via I-80, I-74, I-88 and several major state highways.

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Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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