The holiday season is kicking off in the Quad Cities with a host of annual events and activities. Here’s a look at some of the upcoming Christmas and holiday happenings to help you get into the holiday spirit:
- Christmas in LeClaire returns Friday to Sunday, Dec. 6-8. The City of LeClaire will host the 40th Annual Christmas in LeClaire weekend with the highlight being the 9th annual Ugly Christmas Sweater 5K and Kids Fun Run on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. The 5k starts at 10 a.m. at LeClaire Civic Center, 127 S. Cody Road. Participants can register online until Friday, Dec. 6 until one minute before midnight at http://getmeregistered.com/UglyChristmasSweater5K or visit Facebook: Christmas in LeClaire and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leclaire_ucs5k_iowa/. All funds raised stay local in support of cancer patients with limited financial resources.
- Winter Lights, Quad City Botanical Center, 2525 Fourth Ave., Rock Island, through Monday, Jan. 1. Bundle up and explore more than 225,000 glowing lights Powered by MidAmerican Energy Company. Pet-lovers also are urged not to miss the event’s popular Lights & Leashes on Sundays from 5-6 p.m. through Dec. 29. The holiday schedule is: Open on New Year’s Eve. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Admission $11 for adults; $7 for youth age 2-15, and free to children under 2. Free admission – Botanical Center members and FunBundle members will get in for free on Wednesday nights throughout the exhibit duration. Tickets available on qcgardens.com.
- Fejervary Holiday Lights – Open on Mondays to Sundays from Nov. 30 to Jan. 5, at the Fejervary Learning Center, 1800 W. 12th St., Davenport. Shows are from 5-9:30 p.m.
- Vander Veer Botanical Park Poinsettia and Lights, Tuesday through Sunday, through Jan. 12, at Vander Veer Botanical Park, 215 W. Central Park Ave., Davenport. Closed on Mondays and for the holidays on Wednesdays and Thursdays, Dec. 25- Dec. 26 and Jan. 1-2.
- Skate with Santa Saturday, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2-4 p.m. The River’s Edge will host a special holiday public skate at its facility at 700 W. River Drive, Davenport. Admission: $6 (plus tax) and Skate Rental: $3.50.
- Home for the Holidays Market – The Freight House, 467 W. River Drive, Davenport, will host the market on Friday and Satruday, Dec. 6 and 7. (Hours Saturday are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) A special event that brings together the heart of the Freight House Farmers Market with a festive twist, creating the perfect place for shoppers to support local small businesses and find unique, meaningful gifts.
- Deck the Downtowns events: The Downtown Davenport Partnership, Downtown Bettendorf Organization and Downtown Rock Island are presenting “Deck the Downtowns” – a series of holiday promotions. The schedule includes: Arts Alley Holiday Market in downtown Rock Island, presented by Valley Construction, will be open weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Dec. 22. Over these four weekends, 10 different local businesses will open a pop-up shop in Arts Alley’s new retail vendor stalls. In addition, each weekend will feature a variety of family-friendly activities, including a petting zoo, tree farm, train rides, Santa visits and more. The full schedule and details on participating businesses are available here.
- Also downtown Davenport will have free horse-drawn wagon rides from 3-6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, on East 2nd Street. The rides coincide with the German American Heritage Center’s Christkindlmarket and the Adler Theatre’s evening showing of ”The Nutcracker.” For more information on Deck the Downtowns events, go here for downtown Davenport; here for Bettendorf; and here for Rock Island..
- Hometown Christmas Celebration hosted by the City of DeWitt will be the Dec. 5-7 weekend. Events include a family movie at the DeWitt Operahouse Theatre at 7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 5, featuring “Daddy’s Home 2” Movie admission is $5. On Saturday, Dec. 7, a Children’s Carnival will be from 9-11 a.m., a Visit with Santa at Emmaus Road Church carnival games and prizes for children in 6th grade and younger. “The Christmas Chronicles,” will be shown at the DeWitt Operahouse Theatre at 11:45 a.m. A hot dog meal by the DeWitt Nite Lions. The Lighted Parade will be at 5 p.m. with Christmas Tree Lighting immediately following the parade in front of the Hausbarn.
- Live Window Walk stroll – A Gingerbread House Contest, located inside DeWitt Bank & Trust Co., where you can vote for your favorite. From 5–7 p.m., enjoy horse and wagon rides; a free Holiday Meal inside the Community Center by the DeWitt Nite Lions; a live Nativity Scene from 5–7 p.m. outside, next to the Community Center presented by DeWitt United Methodist Church.
- Geneseo Historical Museum Christmas Open House, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7 205 S. State St., Geneseo. Enjoy the Spirit of an Old Fashioned Christmas and the Sparkle of a Victorian Holiday.
- Geneseo Christmas Walk Too Many Santas! will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday Dec. 14. What is Too Many Santas? We want EVERYONE to dress like Santa Claus for this year’s Geneseo Christmas Walk. Think “Where’s Waldo,” only with Santas everywhere! But where is the real Santa? Can you help us find him at the Geneseo Christmas Walk? Join in the fun and celebrate the one and only Santa Claus in Geneseo this holiday season. More information, visit https://geneseo.org/geneseo-christmas-walk/. Other attractions include: lighted Christmas parade, ice sculptures, living windows, shopping, trolley rides, luminaries, and a gingerbread house decorating contest.
- Holiday Light Shows Illuminate at Weed Park, Muscatine, Iowa. Through New Year’s Eve. A $10 donation is suggested. Nightly synchronized music and light show. Donations help support Crossroads, which provides support for seniors and people with disabilities.
- “A Magical Cirque Christmas” on Monday, Dec. 23, at the Adler Theatre one show only. A Magical Cirque Christmas features the world-acclaimed entertainer of Cirque and takes audiences on a winter wonderland journey. Ticket prices: $39, $51, $69, and $84 (plus applicable fees) and can be purchased at the Adler Box Office, 136 E. 3rd St., Davenport, or online at the official site of the Adler Theatre, www.davenportlive.com, or www.ticketmaster.com.
- Screening of National Lampoon’s “Christmas Vacation” and meet Chevy Chase on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at the Adler Theatre in downtown Davenport. Ticket prices begin at just $39 and can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com or the Adler Theatre box office.
- “Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical” will perform at Rock Island’s Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse through Sunday, Dec. 29. Performances on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday matinées at 1:15 p.m. Ticket prices are $68 for the Friday-through-Sunday dinner-and-show productions and $61 for all Wednesday performances. Reservations are available through the Circa ’21 ticket office at 1828 Third Ave., Rock Island, or by calling (309) 786-7733 ext. 2.
