Several area organizations are partnering for a weekend of fun going on Friday through Sunday, Aug. 18-20.
The Martin Luther King Center, Rock Island Parks and Recreation, the Rock Island County NAACP and Polyrhythms are combining forces to join the ninth annual Bill Bell Jazz & Heritage Festival with the annual Family Fun Day for a weekend of fun for all ages.
The Bill Bell Jazz & Heritage Festival will run 5-10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18, at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, 630 Martin Luther King Drive, Rock Island. The Family Fun Day and Parade will be held 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, at the Center, with the jazz festival also running 3-10 p.m. The weekend will conclude Sunday, Aug. 20, with the jazz festival going on from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Rivermont Collegiate, Becherer Hall Auditorium, 1821 Sunset Drive, Bettendorf.
The Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center’s Family Fun Day Parade will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, at Frances Willard Elementary School (at 25th Avenue and Ninth Street, Rock Island), proceeding north on Ninth Street and ending at the MLK Center and Park on Seventh Avenue. Participants may ride bikes, build a float, decorate their vehicles or simply walk.
The festival will feature former Bill Bell student and subsequent Arsenio Hall music director Michael Wolff as the headliner.
The parade and fun day seek to celebrate all cultures and strengthen neighborhoods and families, according to the event website.
In addition to the parade and jazz fest, the community block party also will include informational booths organized by the NAACP, jumpy houses, activities for kids, food, merchandise and book vendors, live entertainment and more. Admission is free to the festival, parade and Family Fun Day.
For more information and to see a complete schedule of events and hours, including a list of performers, visit the festival website.
