VW Welcome Fest One Week Away

The City of Effingham’s Tourism Office will be hosting a Downtown Party from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday June 2nd, and residents are invited to join in welcoming Volkswagen enthusiasts to Effingham.

Mid America Motorworks’ Fun Run Road Tour will end in downtown Effingham, with Volkswagens set to park in the spaces surrounding the Historic Effingham County Courthouse Museum. Volkswagens are set to come down the parade route at approximately 5:30 p.m. Residents are encouraged to come out for the parade of VWs. Yes, there will be candy!

With Mid America Motorworks’ 19th Annual Funfest for Air-Cooled Volkswagens expected to bring thousands of people to Effingham over the weekend, the Tourism Office is kicking off the event with a Welcome Fest in the heart of the City. “We are expecting over 300 Volkswagens to participate in this year’s Welcome Fest and Road Tour,” said Effingham Tourism Director Jodi Thoele. “The Downtown Welcome Fest is a great opportunity for us to welcome visitors to our community, but also, for residents to come and check out some one-of-a-kind Volkswagens. We try to make it something the whole family can enjoy and we’re excited to add some additional activities to our event this year.”

Activities will include food from Martin’s IGA, Lickin’ My Chicken & Pullin’ My Pork, The Dog, Aunt Kim’s Kettle Corn and Tropical Sno, along with live musical entertainment from Local Honey, giveaways, a chance to win an Amazon Tap: Alexa-Enabled Bluetooth Speaker and of course, you’ll get to see a variety of Volkswagens!

This year they’ve added some featured artisans around the Courthouse square. They will be selling items such as jewelry, handmade wooden crafts and more. There is more fun planned for the kids too, including coloring books, bubbles and sidewalk chalk. This year, Mid America Motorworks will also present their Celebrity Choice Awards downtown.

“There will be a lot of activity downtown that evening, and we hope residents will join us. And while you’re downtown, make sure to stop by all the wonderful shops in the downtown area,” said Thoele.

For more information on the Friday night event, contact the Effingham Tourism department at 217-342-5310 or visit www.VisitEffinghamIL.com. For more information about events at Mid America Motorworks, visit www.FunfestEvents.com.