Money Smarts Blog

Happy fall, y'all!

It's officially my favorite time of the year. Kids are settling into their back-to-school routines, and parents are starting to think about all the fun ways to bond with their kids in their free time, from pumpkin patches and scenic drives to apple orchards and football games.

Fall flies by quickly, so you better take advantage of the cooler weather and beautiful colors with some of my favorite things to do with your family this fall. 

There's so many fun and cheap or FREE fall family activities. And make sure to take note of the events with *. IHMVCU members receive special discounts with our Member Advantages. 

All October long

• Mondays and Thursdays: Story Time with Ms. Celeste, River Valley District Library, Port, Byron, IL
• Tuesdays: Walkers and Wigglers Storytime, Davenport Public Library, Davenport, IA
• Tuesdays: Girls Who Code, Davenport Public Library, Davenport, IA
• Wednesdays: $5 Wednesdays, The Fun Station - Quad Cities, Eldridge, IA 
• Wednesdays: Teen Gaming, Davenport Public Library, Davenport, IA
• Wednesdays: Power Play Jr., Get A Grip Training Center, Colona, IL
• Thursdays: Lapsit Storytime, Davenport Public Library, Davenport, IA
• Thursdays: Scary Movie Marathon, East Moline Public Library, East Moline, IL
• Fridays: Family Fun Night, Wilson’s Apple Orchard, Iowa City, IA
• Friday thru Sunday: CribFest, Corn Crib Nursery, Coal Valley, IL*
• Thursday thru Sunday: Pride of the Wapsi Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze, Long Grove, IA*
• Fridays: Stories @ Main, Davenport Public Library, Davenport, IA

Week of October 1-8

• Sun., Oct. 1: Fire Muster, Lights & Siren Parade, Village of East Davenport
• Tue., Oct. 3: A Night at the Planetarium, John Deere Planetarium, Augustana College, Rock Island
• Wed., Oct. 4: Bilingual Storytime, Galesburg Public Library, Galesburg, IL
• Oct. 6-7: West Branch Fall Fest, West Branch, IA
• Sat., Oct. 7: Dubuque County Kids Expo, Grand River Center, Dubuque, IA
• Sat., Oct. 7: Tails on Trails, Ben Butterworth West Shelter – Old River Drive, Moline, IL
• Sat., Oct. 7: Nahant Marsh Fall Festival, Nahant Marsh Education Center, Davenport, IA
• Sat., Oct. 7: Self-Guided Saturday – Paper Bag Monsters, Silvis Public Library, Silvis, IL
• Sat., Oct. 7: State Street Market, Geneseo, IL
• Sat., Oct. 7: Barbie Mom & Me Spa Day, T’s Spa & Beauty, Davenport, IA
• Sat., Oct. 7: Full STEAM Ahead – Spider Web Slime, LeClaire Community Library, Library, IA

Week of October 9-15

• Tue., Oct. 10: Hands-On Art History – Sugar Skulls, LeClaire Community Library, LeClaire, IA
• Tue., Oct. 10: Sensory Friendly Skate Night, Eldridge Community Center and Skatepark, Eldridge, IA
• Wed., Oct. 11: Family Storytime: Witches, LeClaire Community Library, LeClaire, IA
• Wed., Oct. 11: Fossil Day, Moline Public Library, Moline, IL
• Thu., Oct. 12: Monster Night 4 Kids, River Valley District Library, Port Byron, IL
• Fri., Oct. 13: Teen Midnight Society, East Moline Public Library, East Moline, IL
• Oct. 13-15: Wildlife Scary Park, Wildlife Prairie Park, Hanna City, IL
• Sat., Oct. 14: Read to a Dog, Davenport Public Library, Davenport, IA
• Sat., Oct. 14: Oktoberfest QC, Hauberg Estates, Rock Island, IL
• Sat., Oct. 14: WQPT PBS’ Imagination Station, Moline, IL
• Sat., Oct. 14: Solar Eclipse Party, Colona Public Library, Colona, IL

Week of October 16-22

• Tue., Oct. 17: Read-Aloud Stories with Mr. Haack, LeClaire Community Library, LeClaire, IA
• Thu., Oct. 19: Takeaway Thursday – Egg Carton Spiders, Silvis Public Library, Silvis, IL
• Thu., Oct. 19: Trunk or Treat, Liberty Village of Princeton, Princeton, IL
• Thu., Oct. 19: Read to a Dog – Bow Wow with Books, Robert R. Jones Public Library, Coal Valley, IL
• Thu., Oct. 19: CreaTEEN Crafts – Pumpkin Painting, LeClaire Community Library, LeClaire, IA
• Thu., Oct. 19: Potions 101 for Kids, River Valley District Library, Port Byron, IL
• Fri., Oct. 20: Toddler Time, LeClaire Community Library, LeClaire, IA
• Oct. 20-22: Wildlife Scary Park, Wildlife Prairie Park, Hanna City, IL
• Sat., Oct. 21: Utica Fall Festival, Village of North Utica, Utica, IL
• Sat., Oct. 21: My Little & Me Yoga, Galesburg Public Library, Galesburg, IL
• Sat., Oct. 21: Trunk or Treat at the Airport, Clinton Municipal Airport, Clinton, IA
• Sat., Oct. 21: Trunk or Treat, Silvis Public Library, Silvis, IL
• Sat., Oct. 21: Paws in the Parking Lot & Trunk or Treat, QC Paws, Moline, IL
• Sat., Oct. 21: Spooktacular Trunk or Treat, Greenvalley Softball Complex, Moline, IL
• Sat., Oct. 21: Halloween Hike, Wapsi River Environmental Education Center, Davenport, IA
• Sat., Oct. 21: Trunk or Treat, Kunes Nissan, Davenport, IA
• Sat., Oct. 21: Family Halloweekend, Camp Liberty, North Liberty, IA
• Sat., Oct. 21: Trunk or Treat, Good Furniture Main, Kewanee, IL

Week of October 23-29

• Tue., Oct. 24: Trunk-or-Treat, Coal Valley Municipal Park, Coal Valley, IL
• Wed., Oct. 25: Young Adventurers: Dungeons & Dragons for Beginners, Galesburg Public Library, Galesburg, IL
• Thu., Oct. 26: Sexton Spooktacular Trunk or Treat, Sexton Ford, Moline, IL
• Thu., Oct. 26: Fright Night In the Park, Schwiebert Park, Rock Island, IL
• Fri., Oct. 27: City Hall-o-Ween, City Hall, Bettendorf, IA
• Oct. 27-29: Wildlife Scary Park, Wildlife Prairie Park, Hanna City, IL
• Sat., Oct. 28: Bettendorf Halloween Parade, Bettendorf, IA
• Sat., Oct. 28: Dia de Los Muertos Parade, Mercado On Fifth, downtown, Moline, IL
• Sat., Oct. 28: Scarecrow Row, Geneseo City Park, Geneseo, IL
• Sat., Oct. 28: Village Zombie Run, Village of East Davenport, Davenport, IA
• Oct. 28-29: HalloWEEKEND 2023, The Iowa Children’s Museum, Coralville, IA
• Oct. 28-29: Dog Days, Pride of the Wapsi, Long Grove, IA
• Sun., Oct. 29: Boo at the Zoo, Niabi Zoo, Coal Valley, IL
• Sun., Oct. 29: Hot Cider Hustle, Centennial Park, Davenport, IA
• Sun., Oct. 29: Pumpkin Smash, Pride of the Wapsi, Long Grove, IA
• Sun., Oct. 29: Tricks & Treats at the Figge, Figge Art Museum, Davenport, IA
• Sun., Oct. 29: Fall Festival & Truck or Treat, Silver Bell Hollow, Davenport, IA
• Sun., Oct. 29: Halloween Skate, Eldridge Community Center and Skatepark, Eldridge, IA

Week of October 30 – November 5

• Mon. Oct. 30: Clinton Mardi Gras Halloween Parade, North 2^nd Street, Clinton, IA
• Mon. Oct. 30: Costumes and QC CAN, LeClaire Community Library, LeClaire, IA
• Sun., Oct. 29: Fall Festival & Truck or Treat, Silver Bell Hollow, Davenport, IA
• Thu., Nov. 2: Dino Excavation for Kids, River Valley District Library, Port Byron, IL 
• Thu., Nov. 2: Takeaway Thursday – Bubble Wrap Corn, Silvis Public Library, Silvis, IL
• Sat., Nov. 4: Read to a Dog, Fairmount Davenport Public Library, Davenport, IA 
• Sat., Nov. 4: Self-Guided Saturday – Hand Leaf Trees, Silvis Public Library, Silvis, IL
• Sat., Nov. 4: All Ages Chess Club, Bettendorf Public Library, Bettendorf, IA
• Nov. 4-5: Fall Fest at the Freight House Farmers Market, Davenport, IA