Spooky, Scary October Events in the Quad Cities
It’s going to be a spooky, scary October in the Quad Cities! There are plenty of places and events to put you in the Halloween spirit.
- Starring Domingo Rubio as Dracula, this Ballet Quad Cities’ performance has bold music, edgy choreography, eerie lighting, creative costumes and dynamic dancing all to add up to unforgettable performances on October 23-24. Eccentric costuming and unexpected choreography make this ballet a must-see. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Capitol Theatre, 330 West 3rd Street, Davenport, IA. Come for a drink with Dracula at 6:30 p.m. each evening before the performance. Halloween costumes encouraged. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.balletquadcities.com.
- Bucktown Center for the Arts monthly free party takes on a paranormal feel on Friday, October 23 for Deadstock—a night of rest in peace and music. View and purchase great art, and come dressed in costume. Open 6-9 p.m. Bucktown is located at 225 E. 2nd St. in downtown Davenport, Iowa. For more information, visit www.bucktownarts.com.
- Cordova Dragway Park has open racing for anyone on Saturday, October 24 during Halloweird XIV. There will be test-n-tune, gamblers, and trophy classes, plus a costume contest, trailer decorating, trick or treating, and supervised activities for the kids. Kids can tour the "Asylum of Mad Dreams" Haunted Forest. Open at 10 am. The dragway is located at 19425 IL Rt. 84 N, Cordova, IL. For more information, contact 309-654-2110 or www.cordovadrag.com.
LeClaire, Iowa, downtown shopping
- Stroll the streets of downtown LeClaire, Iowa, on Saturday, October 24 for the 6th annual Witches Walk from 11 am-2 pm. This free family event includes a costume contest, a parade up and down Cody Road, prizes, candy, a witch's cackle contest, music, face painting, children's games, pumpkin decorating, a dog costume contest, treat bags, cookies, hot chocolate, and more. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Online registration will be available by the first week of October at www.visitleclaire.com.
- The City of Bettendorf is having a new daytime parade on Saturday, October 24 at 1 p.m. The parade starts at Middle Road and 23rd Street, crosses Middle Road onto Spruce Hills Drive, follows Spruce Hills Drive, turn left onto 18th Street, turns left on Middle Road and ends at the entrance to the Life Fitness Center/ Splash Landing parking lot. For more information, visit www.bettendorf.org.
- Bring the kids to celebrate Halloween on Thursday, October 29 for Fright Night in The Downtown Rock Island Arts & Entertainment District of Rock Island, Illinois. Visit participating art galleries, shops, and restaurants for spooky surprises throughout the evening from 5-9 p.m. Children and adults alike will enjoy trickery throughout the evening. Find treats at the different sites during a treasure hunt and see whose costume is the best at the costume contest. Storytellers will weave spine-tingling tales; pumpkin carvers will showcase their wicked designs; and kids can join in with make-and-take activities. Each participating business will be transformed with the sights and sounds of Halloween as they compete to win the storefront-decorating contest. Free admission. For more information, contact The District at 309-788-6311 or www.ridistrict.com.
- The City of Davenport Halloween Parade will be held in the downtown on Saturday, October 31, 2009, beginning at 7 P.M. For more information, visit www.cityofdavenportiowa.com.
Haunted Houses and Corn Mazes
- Death, Murder, & Mayhem: Graves Tell the Story of Gangster John Looney is the title of the new walking tour and exhibit at Chippiannock Cemetery in Rock Island, Illinois. The story of John Looney was played out at the turn of the century in grief and death where both the perpetrators and victims were laid to rest in Chippiannock Cemetery at 2901 12th Street. Take a free walking tour and follow the stories of ten people who crossed the path of Rock Island’s notorious gangster of whom even Al Capone was scared of. Looney ran the city’s underworld of liquor, gambling and prostitution. The 2002 movie “Road to Perdition” starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, and Jude Law is based on Looney’s life. Brochures are available at either the cemetery office or in a box near the cemetery entrance. The cemetery grounds are open to visitors from 8 a.m. to sunset. www.chippiannock.com
- It’s going to be a Field of Screams at Modern Woodmen Park (formerly John O'Donnell Stadium) in downtown Davenport, Iowa. Tickets are $10 at the ballpark but $8 for groups of 15 or more that call in advance to 563-324-3000. The Field of Screams will be open from 8 p.m. to Midnight every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night in October. For more information, contact 563-324-3000 or www.riverbandits.com.
- Experience the deepest, darkest haunted forest in the Quad Cities! Begin the journey of horror in the most terrifying hayrack ride ever.Travel completely enclosed in darkness. Then suddenly riders must disembark the safety of the hayrack and find themselves in the middle of 56 acres of unrelenting darkness. Find the way back to civilization on foot through petrifying trails of horror and doom. The horrible sounds, hideous creatures, and chainsaws threatening life and limb will leave you screaming! QC Haunted Forest at Adventure Quest is open in October on Friday and Saturday nights from 7-11 p.m. Admission is $12. The QC Haunted Forest will also be offering several indoor interactive inflatable games, a photo opportunity, snacks, hot and cold beverages, as well as a full bar. QC Haunted Forest is located at 3501 207th St. N., Port Byron, IL. For more information, call 309-523-9430 or visit www.qchauntedforest.com
- The Quad Cities’ newest haunted house is at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds in Davenport, Iowa. This Feargrounds haunted house is under the 90-year old grandstands. It is open each Thursday-Sunday in October at 7 p.m. through Halloween. Admission is $10. For more information, visit www.mvfair.com.
Country Corner
- The dark may not be the only thing you have to fear! Explore Country Corner’s haunted maze, and see what might just "pop up" before your very eyes! The haunted corn maze is a terrifyingly good time on October 10-31 on Friday and Saturday nights from 7-11 pm. Admission is $8 per person. Country Corner is located on US Hwy 150, 2 miles North of Alpha, Illinois. For more information, visit www.country-corner.com.
For more information on Halloween in the Quad Cities and lodging ideas, 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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