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150 years of Moline: What you need to know about the city's sesquicentennial celebration

The celebration is expected to draw nearly 20,000 attendees from across the Quad Cities and Midwest for music, food, shopping and activities.

MOLINE, Ill. — Over the last 15 decades, the City of Moline has expanded from a modest frontier settlement to a city home to more than 40,000 people and a metro population of about 400,000. 

Marking the anniversary of its incorporation, the city will host a weeklong 150th Sesquicentennial Celebration on Aug. 22-29. It's expected to draw nearly 20,000 attendees from across the Quad Cities and Midwest for music, food, shopping and family activities.

The celebration is free to all ages. More information can be found on the city's sesquicentennial website.

Find some of the sesquicentennial week events below.

Touch-A-Truck - Get up close and personal Saturday, Aug. 27 with more than 30 City vehicles, including buses, squad cars, utility vehicles, construction equipment and garbage trucks. The event goes from 9-11:30 a.m. in the parking lot behind River House and Bad Boyz.

Downtown Moline Heritage Walking Tour - This interactive tour guides walkers through the historic downtown area. The tour is available on all connected devices, or folks can search specific spots on the web map.

Live music on River Drive - Catch free performances Thursday through Saturday on River Drive from over 15 musical acts. Here's the artist lineup:

Thursday, Aug. 25:

  • Piso's Cure - 5-5:45 p.m. at Main Stage.
  • Jason Carl's Tom Petty Tribute - 6-7:15 p.m. at Main Stage.
  • Electric Shock: An AC/DC Tribute - 7:30-9 p.m. at Main Stage.

Friday, Aug. 26: 

  • CJ Parker & XII - 5-5:30 p.m. at Community Stage.
  • Crooked Cactus - 5:30-6:15 p.m. at Main Stage.
  • Blues Rock-It - 6:15-6:45 p.m. at Community Stage.
  • Grupo Innstinto - 6:45-7:45 p.m. at Main Stage.
  • Smooth Groove - 7:45-8:30 p.m. at Community Stage.
  • Banda Cerro Azul - 8:30-11 p.m. at Main Stage.

Saturday, Aug. 27:

  • Moline High School Marching Band - 11:40 a.m to noon at Main Stage.
  • The Spotlight Theatre - noon to 12:30 p.m. at Community Stage.
  • Lewis Knudsen - 12:30-1:15 p.m. at Main Stage.
  • Alexa Mueller - 1:15-1:45 p.m. at Community Stage.
  • Mountain Swallower - 1:45-2:30 p.m. at Main Stage.
  • QC Rock Academy - 2:30-3 p.m. at Community Stage.
  • The Way Down Wanderers - 3-4 p.m. at Main Stage.
  • Dale Burton Band - 4-4:30 p.m. at Community Stage.
  • Lissie - 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Main Stage.
  • The Tripp Brothers - 5:30-6 p.m. at Community Stage.
  • Pokey LaFarge - 6-7:15 p.m. at Main Stage.
  • Logan Springer & The Wonderfully Wild - 7:15-7:45 p.m. at Community Stage.
  • Celisse - 7:45-8:45 p.m. at Main Stage.
  • The Forty Twos - 8:45-9:20 p.m. at Community Stage.
  • Galactic featuring Anjelika "Jelly" Joseph - 9:30-11 p.m. at Main Stage

Disclaimer: WQAD is a sponsor of Moline's Sesquicentennial Celebration.

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