Pit stop: Downtown Cape gears up for 900 Corvettes on Tuesday

It's no easy task to accommodate 900 Corvettes in downtown Cape Girardeau -- even for just a five-hour pit stop.

The Corvette Caravan is set for 4 to 9 p.m. Tuesday. And according to Old Town Cape, the event requires a lot of logistics.

Cars from California, Utah, Nevada, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas -- and even Hawaii and Australia -- will be part of the caravan on the way to the National Corvette Museum's 25th anniversary celebration in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Three streets will be closed to accommodate the vehicles: Water Street, Main Street and Spanish Street. Parking lots at North Main Street and Broadway and South Main Street and Independence Street also will be reserved for the event's participants.

The Corvette-only parade is set for 3:30 p.m. Tuesday on Broadway. Starting at 4 p.m., the sportscars will be on display downtown.

The caravan's stop also will feature food trucks and two open-container beer gardens from 5 to 10 p.m. -- managed by Knights of Columbus and St. Vincent's Council 1111 -- Old Town Cape events coordinator Emily Vines confirmed Friday.

One will be at 35 S. Spanish, the same parking lot utilized by Cape Riverfront Market. The other beer garden will be located across from Port Cape Girardeau, at Themis and Water Street, she said.

Vines said food vendors will include The German Cook, Hinkebein Hills Farm, Sugarfire Smoke House, Kenny's Flippin' Burgers and Knights of Columbus.

Local bands Bittersweet will perform at 35 S. Spanish, and Three of a Perfect Pair will be performing at Themis and Water Street.

Isle Casino Cape Girardeau will have 1,200 parking spaces available for the day and will offer a shuttle service.

Handicapped parking will be available at Broadway and Water Street. Van drop-off also will be in that area, Vines added.

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