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The City of Effingham's Tourism Office will be hosting the Corvette Welcome Fest downtown party from 5 to 8 p. m. Thursday, September 17, to kick-off Mid America Motorworks' 22nd Annual Corvette Funfest, and residents are invited to join in welcoming Corvette enthusiasts to Effingham. 

Mid America Motorworks' Fun Run Road Tour will end in downtown Effingham, with a Corvette parade (including candy), coming down Jefferson Ave and ending at the Courthouse square. The Corvettes are expected to arrive downtown around 5:15 - 5:30 p. m. and we invite residents to come out for the parade. Following the parade, the Corvettes will park down Jefferson Avenue, around the Historic Courthouse Museum lawn and parking lots adjacent to the square.

"We are expecting over 500 Corvettes to participate in this year's downtown party, a significant increase from previous years," said Effingham Tourism Director Jodi Thoele. "The Corvette 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 Corvettes and enjoy the downtown festivities. We have a great lineup this year."

Activities that evening will include a Gabby Goat & Martin's IGA cookout, in addition to other great sweet treats including Aunt Kim's Kettle corn and other sweet treats. You can also enjoy live musical entertainment by Allie Keck, dance performances from Cayla's Power Tumbling, great giveaways, and of course, a chance to see a variety of Corvettes!

"There will be a lot of activity downtown that evening, and we hope residents will join us," said Jackson. There are some additional activities going on during the downtown party this year. "Some of the Corvette enthusiasts will be throwing out candy again this year, so we hope to have plenty of families lined up along Jefferson Avenue to enjoy the cars and candy," said Thoele. We hope everyone will come out and enjoy a great night in our beautiful downtown area," said Thoele. There will also be Celebrity Choice Award winners announced during the downtown party. In addition, some of the downtown businesses will also stay open late to accommodate our Corvette visitors and Effingham community.

Mid America Motorworks' Annual Corvette Funfest is expected to bring in over 40,000 visitors to Effingham over the weekend. The event will be held from September 17 to 20 on Mid America's campus on north U. S. 45.

For more information on the Thursday night event, contact the Effingham Tourism department at 217-342-5310 or visit their website. For more information about events at Mid America Motorworks, visit their website.