The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center will present Soul of the City 2025, a free, annual family-friendly celebration of community, culture, and connection, on Saturday, Aug. 30.
The 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. event is at Franklin Field, 1251 9th St., Rock Island.
Festivities begin with the Soul of the City Parade at 10 a.m. It steps off at Frances Willard Elementary School (25th Avenue and Ninth Street) and marches north on Ninth Street before disbanding at Franklin Field.
Block Party highlights include appearances by:
- Event Host: Marshall Glover.
- Jesse White Tumblers.
- Funktastic Five.
- MLK’s Boxing Club and Dynamic Status Gems Dance Team.
- Six of the QC’s most sought after DJs.
- A new Kidz Zone with activities for all ages.
- West End Rib Festival & Contest.
- The return of the National Society for Black Engineers (NSBE) creating GoCarts for kids.
More event features
Throughout the day, visitors also can enjoy:
- Live music and entertainment.
- Food trucks and local vendors.
- Kids’ games and activities.
- Community resource booths.
- And much more.
Soul of the City is presented in partnership with Rock Island Parks and Recreation, West End Rib Fest, the Community Caring Conference, and the Rock Island County NAACP.
Admission is free and open to all. For details, visit mlkcenter.org/events/soul-of-the-city or call (309) 732-2999.
The Martin Luther King Center inspires greatness in the Quad Cities through community-building, education and service. Major programs currently include Substance Use Prevention; Teenage Pregnancy Prevention; Family Advocacy Center; free after-school and summer programs for children aged 6-14; a variety of clubs for people of all ages; free tax preparation assistance; four annual events for the community; and backbone support for the West End Revitalization.
