Boomtown: Fireworks, the blues, baseball and runners to fill downtown this evening

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By Kurt Allemeier | Thursday, July 03, 2008 |

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2008 Blues Fest Map

Downtown Davenport faces another flood today, but this time it will be people, not the Mississippi River.

The city is hosting several events tonight from River Drive to 4th Street in an area stretching roughly between the Centennial and Government bridges. Fireworks will be bursting overhead, the blues will fill the air, the River Bandits will be playing baseball and runners will trek up and down Brady Street. With so many entertainment options, the best thing to do is:

“Allow extra time for traffic and parking,” Davenport police Lt. Mike Venema said Wednesday.

The traffic bureau’s officers will be out in force tonight to help guide people out of the downtown. The Quad-Cities River Bandits game against the Cedar Rapids Kernels starts at 6 p.m. That’s the same time as activities get under way for the Red, White and Boom! celebration, which concludes with fireworks scheduled at 9:30 p.m. Participants will begin the Bix at Six practice run at 6 p.m. on 4th Street, and the IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival kicks off at 5 p.m. on 2nd Street and at the Adler Theatre on 3rd Street.

“We just ask for patience because it is going to take time to get all the traffic out of the downtown area,” Venema said. “We will move the traffic out as quickly as we can.”

River Drive between Ripley and Brady streets will be closed from 4 until about 10:30 p.m. for Red, White and Boom! (Rock Island is also hosting Red, White and Boom! events in The District tonight.) Venema recommends that people driving east-west in Davenport tonight use an alternate route such as Locust Street or Kimberly Road.

Preparations for the Blues Fest closed 2nd Street and a few nearby streets Wednesday, but traffic on 3rd Street and River Drive will not be affected by that event.

“There should be a lot of people in downtown Davenport (tonight),” said Randy Nunez, a member of the Mississippi Valley Blues Society’s festival committee.

That is what Davenport wants, said Joe Taylor, chief executive officer and president of the Quad-Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“When a lot of downtowns are struggling for events and business, downtown Davenport seems to hit the jackpot for things to do,” he said. “I think Davenport is showcasing itself very nicely.”

The wave of events comes a little more than two weeks after the Mississippi River crested about 6 1/2 feet over flood stage. The river’s uninvited stay outside its banks pushed the Blues Festival out of its traditional home in LeClaire Park and the fireworks event a short distance from the riverfront. Marcy Hyder, director of downtown events for DavenportOne, said she expects 10,000 people in the downtown area tonight.

“We are staying as close as we can to the riverfront, and we are glad we are going to be able to continue our event,” she said of Red, White and Boom! “We are very excited that the events are going on and weren’t canceled but are at new locations.”

The city is providing free parking in its Harrison Street parking ramp, while special-event parking — for $2 — is available at the Redstone and RiverCenter ramps.

Where to park and where not to drive

Parking: Downtown Davenport parking meters will not be enforced Friday and Saturday. Parking is free in the parking ramp at 202 Harrison St. today through Saturday. A special-event parking rate of $2 will be charged at the Redstone, 101 Main St., and RiverCenter (102 E. 2nd St.) parking ramps from 3 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Roads closed: River Drive will be closed 4-10:30 p.m. today for “Red, White and Boom!” Also, 2nd Street between Brady and Iowa streets, Pershing from 3rd Street to River Drive and Perry Street from River Drive to 2nd are closed for the Blues Festival.

Kurt Allemeier can be contacted at (563) 383-2360 or kallemeier@qctimes.com.