For the third year in a row, Davenport-based Russell is investing over $150,000 in making Bix weekend (July 28-29) the most spectacular weekend of the year in the Quad Cities.
Russell led the charge in 2021 to bring Bix-style music back to Bix weekend – defined by the annual running of the Bix 7 road race – in the form of The Heights of the Era music festival in the Village of East Davenport.
The Heights of the Era (THOTE) this year boasts New Orleans-based headliner act Tuba Skinny, who will perform during the sunset hour, beginning at 8:10 p.m., Friday, July 28, in Lindsay Park.
Tuba Skinny has chosen to play in Davenport this year, rather than on their usual summer European tour, according to a Wednesday release from event organizer Michelle Solis Russell, partner of Russell Group.
With more than one million views on YouTube and over 100,000 album downloads, Tuba Skinny has a broad fan following. In addition to Tuba Skinny, THOTE brings back (from the THOTE 2021 lineup) six additional bands from across the country – New York, Cincinnati, and Chicago — to perform for festivalgoers.
Music starts at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, July 28, and continues until 11 p.m. Performers include The Creswell Club from Sunnyside, Queens, N.Y. – where Bix Beiderbecke spent his last days in 1931 – as well as The Sweet Tooth Jazz Band (also from Queens, N.Y.), Matt Tolentino and the New Liberty Dance Orchestra (Cincinnati, Ohio), and several from Chicago.
The Heights of the Era charges no admission fee and is a BYO (Bring Your Own) event, inviting attendees to bring their own food, beverage, and lawn chair. THOTE’s attendees are invited to present their 2023 Bix 7 Race bib for free food and beverage. Valid ID required for adult beverage service.
Parking and shuttle service is provided all day to and from the venue, at no charge. THOTE was initially designed in 2021, not only to bring Bix-style music back to Bix weekend, but to also provide the community a day of carefree nostalgic bliss after a year (COVID) of loss for many, and stress for all, the event release says.
Russell teams up with partners Tri-City Electric Co., Sears Seating, and others to provide this fun-filled free day for the community. THOTE’s full music lineup may be found HERE.
Russell (with 275+ employees, has delivered more than $3 billion in commercial construction and development projects across 33 states) is also very proud to partner with the Bix 7 Race as a Platinum Sponsor for the Beat the Elite competition. Amongst the thousands of runners and walkers who gather in downtown Davenport to participate in the 49th annual race on Saturday, July 29, the spotlight will be on Kelli Grubbs and Nathan Windt, who are the “Beat the Elite” runners.
Grubbs and Windt will be given a head start to attempt to beat the overall female and male winners of the road race and win $2,500 each (in comparison, this week’s John Deere Classic winner will take home $1.3 million).
The partnership between Russell and the Bix 7, which began in 2022, connects two of the organizations’ common values – community and wellness.
“We are fortunate to be able to give back to our community in many ways. We have long believed in the Quad-City Times Bix 7 Race not only as running event, but also for its ability to bring friends and family together for the best weekend of the year,” Michelle Russell said Wednesday.
“Family and class reunions are scheduled around this weekend, people come together for perhaps the only time of the year. Lives are busier than ever and finding time to connect is harder and more important than ever as well,” she said.
“We believe strongly that adding music back into the mix of this magical Bix weekend, can only serve to make the race and our hometown community better.”
For more information, visit the THOTE website HERE.
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