Jazzing it Up on the Mississippi River

Can you imagine sitting in your lawn chair in a beautiful park listening to great jazz music and having the great view of the Mighty Mississippi River a few feet away? That's what thousands of people do each year as they experience The Bix Biederbecke Memorial Jazz Festival in Davenport, Iowa.

Davenport has been host to the festival for 36 years. This year, more bands, entertainments and events are scheduled from July 26-29. The event has been named Iowa's No. 1 tourist attraction by the Iowa Department of Tourism.

Davenport is 3 hours west of Chicago and three hours west of Des Moines, Iowa. The city sits among a metropolitan area of more than 400,000 people called the Quad-Cities. Those cities include Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline and Rock Island, Ill. The area is headquarters for the agricultural giant, Deere & Co.

Leon "Bix" Beiderbecke grew up in Davenport, but became a legendary jazz musician during the Roaring 20s. He died at the age of 28 in 1931, but his music lives on in the area he called home.

Jazz and swing bands from across the country and world gather this one weekend to honor his memory and to delight crowds of thousands. Bix has been the subject of two movies, three major books, a symphony, Carnegie Hall performances and his selection to the International Jazz Hall of Fame. His fans can also tour his boyhood home, his church and his burial spot. Narrated trolley rides to these sites are scheduled throughout the weekend.

Music isn't the only highlight of the weekend. The Quad-City Times Bix 7 Run/Walk through the streets and steep hills of Davenport brings in more than 20,000 competitors on Sat., July 28. The race is one of the top ten running events in the United States. The fastest runners from around the world come to battle the humidity and hills to possibly win part of the prize money.

The race has become a family affair for many. Generations gear up for the race, whether they are getting in shape to sprint up the long hills or they are cheering on the competitors along the route.

For those less active or just not ready to face 7 miles, a two-mile QuickBix can also be achieved at the same time.

The kids can get involved too with their own special competition. Over 5,000 kids from toddlers to 12 years old get a chance to run in Alcoa's Jr. Bix on Friday, July 27. They all get a medallion and a T-shirt.

When all the races are done, participants can enjoy a street festival in downtown Davenport with a wide variety of food, crafts, music and other entertainment.
Davenport is part of an area called the Quad-Cities, which is located on the Mississippi River smack dab in the middle of Des Moines and Chicago. It lies directly off of Interstate 80 and Interstate 74.

For more information about the Bix Fest, visit the website at bixsociety.org; for the race, click onto bix7.com; and for more information about accommodations or the Quad-Cities, go to visitquadcities.com.