Celebrate our region at the Alternating Currents festival

The Alternating Currents festival is a celebration of our region and its creativity and quirky originality. It spotlights who we are and why we choose to live here. And it continues to grow and garner crowds of visitors who come to experience the spirit of the QC.

The 2022 Alternating Currents festival will showcase 120+ live music and comedy performances, film screenings and art-related events from Thursday to Sunday, Aug. 18-21, at more than 25 indoor and outdoor venues in downtown Davenport and Rock Island.

“Alternating Currents gives us an opportunity to showcase the businesses and vibrant culture of downtown while at the same time offering four days of great entertainment,” said Jason Gilliland, Director of Events for DDP. “The best thing about Alternating Currents is that each person can have their own unique experience by picking the music or comedy shows, films or art exhibits that appeal to them. Maybe you’ll even discover an artist you never knew about that becomes your new favorite.”

Now in its fifth year, Alternating Currents is organized by the Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP), a division of the Quad Cities Chamber, in collaboration with artists, businesses and organizations in the QC. This year’s festival is presented by GreenState Credit Union, the Regional Development Authority (RDA) and Rhythm City Casino Resort.

The free festival continues to grow larger each year, propelled by overwhelming QC appreciation, participation and support. 

“We chose to support this event because it draws in a large, diverse crowd and has many components to it, which ensure everyone has an amazing experience,” said Tara Wachendorf, Vice President/Public Relations Director, GreenState Credit Union. “We are honored to help make the Quad Cities a great place to live, work and play, and this event does just that,” she added.

RDA and Rhythm City Casino Resort partnered this year as a presenting sponsor. RDA President/CEO Matt Mendenhall said both are invested in the success of downtown Davenport. Riverboat gambling was introduced as a way to generate economic activity for riverfront downtowns. RDA is the gaming license holder for the casino and receives a portion of the gaming receipts, then grants those to projects that create a more vibrant, inclusive and growing community.

To Mendenhall, Alternating Currents is the type of event that makes the QC the place people want to live. It fills downtown businesses and sidewalks while celebrating the region’s creativity and culture. It encourages residents and visitors to gather, explore and discover.

“I’ve always believed the Riverboat Development Authority has a special responsibility and strong interest in making sure downtown Davenport is thriving and successful,” he said. “A downtown is the heart and soul of a city and to the degree we can invest in making it an interesting, vibrant place benefits not only Davenport but our entire region.”

The easiest way to navigate the festival is through the Alternating Currents app. Users can build their own adventures through the downtown. The Alternating Currents app is available for Apple and Android devices at alternatingcurrentsqc.com. Users can discover the full schedule of music, comedy, film, art and other fun stuff as well as access a map of the downtown venues. All Alternating Currents performances are free to attend. Visitors are encouraged to travel from one venue to the next, easily identifiable by their yellow Alternating Currents venue signage.