Corvette Caravan set to roll into town this evening

Today is the day the Corvette Caravan rolls into town.

About 5:30 p.m., local Corvette owners will cruise down Broadway from Capaha Park to South Main Street, and the caravan is expected to set up camp downtown between 6 and 6:30 p.m.

Chuck Martin, executive director of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau, expects about 300 vehicles, and they will be parked on Main Street all the way from Broadway to William, with some overflow on Water Street.

The Corvette enthusiasts are spending the night in Cape as they make their way to the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

This is the 20th anniversary of the museum's opening, and the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau has been working with caravan members for almost a year to make the night special.

The band Hot Rod Nights will play oldies tunes, Martin said, and the Cape Girardeau Police Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Auto Tires and Parts will host interactive exhibits.

"We are doing an awful lot to make it just a fun family evening," Martin said. "Fatal Goggles by the Cape Girardeau Police Department gives you a sensation of what it's like to be intoxicated and try to walk a straight line and ... the seat belt convincer will be there by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. It is an exhibit to give you an appreciation for wearing your seat belt, and the Auto Tires and Parts NASCAR simulator will be there."

The music and events are set to begin at approximately 5:30 p.m. and conclude around 8:30 p.m.

Free parking will be available at the Isle Casino Cape Girardeau with a free shuttle transporting visitors back and forth from 4 to 9 p.m. The shuttle will pick up passengers at the main entrance to Isle Casino and run in a continuous loop from the main entrance to the intersection of Broadway and Main Street.

Generations of Corvettes are visiting as part of the 5th annual Corvette Caravan, and the cars will definitely be a sight to see.

smaue@semissourian.com