Funfest for Air-Cooled VW 2015 is Here

Funfest for Air-Cooled VW 2015 is here.

The three-day event headquartered at Mid-America Motorworks along North US 45 in Effingham kicks off today.

Funfest annually brings hundreds for Volkswagens and their owners to the city. A variety of events are hosted by Mike and Laurie Yager of Mid-America for their customers, but many of the events are open to Effingham area residents.

A fun dome retail center will be open each day as will the Yagers' MY Garage Museum.

Things will especially involve the local community this evening. An annual Fun Run for participating VW owners will leave Mid-America at 4:30pm and tour the surrounding area before heading into downtown Effingham. The VWs, expected to number in the hundreds, will head down Jefferson Avenue around 5:15pm, parking around the historic Courthouse square. 

The Effingham Convention and Visitors Bureau has a variety of activities planned downtown from 5-8pm. Those will include food from several vendors, music by Russ Howard, a performance by Jansen's Dance Center, games for the kids and a chance to see the VWs. Mid-America will be presenting its first set of Celebrity Choice Awards downtown, as well. The Effingham County Courthouse Museum will be open for the VW guests and local residents from 5-7pm.

Saturday activities will include more celebrity judging throughout the day, the MY Garage Museum open from 8am to 6pm, a club contest assisted by the Effingham Convention and Visitors Bureau where the City's "Have Pig, Will Travel" program takes on an added dimension. Clubs are invited to decorate or dress a pig to match your VW Club's personality. Take photos with your pig at Funfest all weekend and post them to Mid-America's social media with the hashtag #funfestpig. The Tourism Office will select a winner Sunday from all of the photos on Mid-America's Facebook page.

The official opening ceremony is set for 10am Saturday. A celebrity choice awards ceremony will take place at 3:30pm. Saturday night entertainment this year includes Garrett Biggs and The Highway 40 Band at 5pm, and then music by country star Drew Baldridge at 8pm at the amphitheater. Gates will open at 7:30pm.

Sunday activities will be focused on the morning, including presentation of the final Celebrity Choice awards at 11am.