Quad-Cities’ Alternating Currents Festival Canceled Due To Covid-19
Another major Quad-Cities cultural event is biting the dust due to Covid-19.
Event organizers from Downtown Davenport Partnership (DDP) on Wednesday announced the cancellation of Alternating Currents, originally scheduled for August 27-30, as a regional event across five Quad-Cities downtown areas.
Downtown Bettendorf Organization’s (DBO) “Be Downtown” event — in its third year originally re-scheduled from June to coincide with Alternating Currents — also has been canceled. Both organizations are divisions of the Quad Cities Chamber.
Kyle Carter
“In order to keep Quad Citizens and visitors safe, we felt it best to cancel events that included large gatherings downtown,” said DDP executive director Kyle Carter. “We will continue to support our downtown businesses as we have throughout the pandemic with promotions that encourage people to eat, drink, shop and explore downtown within public health guidelines.”
“The Downtown Bettendorf Organization is celebrating its one-year anniversary this month,” DBO director Ryan Jantzi said. “Although we’re disappointed that we won’t be able to host Be Downtown this year, we are able to support our downtown businesses in other ways including new streetscape improvements and our new promotions committee will develop a marketing campaign to promote downtown businesses.”
Alternating Currents logo
This week, DDP is launching the Downtown Front Porch project — a way to get to know the humans behind the businesses in downtown Davenport. Featuring more than 40 organizations, the images and stories that will be shared are reflective of the energy, passion and resilience of the people that make downtown tick, according to downtowndavenport.com.
“As we all try to navigate a global pandemic, finding ways to connect with our neighbors is more important than ever,” Carter said. “With a year of canceled events and less foot traffic on the streets, it’s critical that we spend our dollars locally to support the people in our own community.
“Small, locally owned businesses are at the center of what makes downtown a special place,” he added. “This campaign is an opportunity to show the faces of hard-working Quad Citizens and ways the community can rally to support them.”
The goal of the Downtown Front Porch project is to remind people that downtown is vibrant, welcoming and open for business.
For a complete list of upcoming promotions, visit Downtown Davenport Partnership on Facebook (@downtowndavenport).
