QC Pride Fest kicks off Friday, Peters trounces Croken for House 97 seat, free meals for kids and teens: Quad Cities Dailies for 6-4-26

ROCK ISLAND — The two-day Quad Cities Pride Fest kicks off at 4 p.m., Friday, offering two days of drag, live music and vendors. You’ll find several names familiar from previous QC pride fests, including the Funktastic 5, Mary Quite Contrary’s House of Burlesque, Milange Cavalli, Izzy A. Mess, Dizmuh Lucero Stratton, Taystee, Ginger Snaps, and Gemini. Also featured: live music by Class of 82, The Textures, Eva Kendall and a 90-minute open stage, plus drag performers Honey B. Trinidad, Hazel Sanchez-Belle, and Apollo Sommers. Also featured: the QC Pride Choir, AcroYogaQC, and DJ Amy Alderman; see the full schedule above. Get tickets here to enter the festival;  they’re $10 each day if purchased separately, or a $15 two-day weekend pass. A $20 pass also includes admission to an after-fest party at Icons, which is $5 otherwise.  You can also request free admission. Quad Cities Pride Fest is at Schwiebert Riverfront Park, 101 17th St.

DAVENPORT — Adam Peters will be the new Iowa State House District 97 Representative after defeating two-term incumbent Ken Croken with 63 percent of the 2,554 votes cast in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. Peters is the former director of Clock Inc. LGBT Community Center, former head of the Stonewall Caucus for the Iowa Democratic Party, a show choir coach, and was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2024.  He  received 1,554 votes in the primary. Croken, Peters’ former friend and collaborator in fundraisers for Clock Inc. received 994 votes. District 97 includes Davenport and Bettendorf. To learn more about Peters, head to his Facebook page or website.