by Walt Thurn
The annual Bloomington Gold Corvette show first began in 1973 on a two-acre plot in Bloomington, Illinois. Nineteen vendors and 1500 people attended the first event. Through the years the show grew into one of the biggest Corvette shows in the country. As the show expanded, it began outgrowing its facilities. In 1993, the show moved to the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois where it remained for five years.
In 1997 Dana Mecum became Bloomington’s new owner and returned the show to Bloomington, Illinois, and in 2002 Mecum signed a four-year contract with Pheasant Run Resorts in St. Charles Illinois. St. Charles is about 40 miles west of Chicago. The eighteen-hole PGA quality golf resort was a good match for Corvette enthusiasts.
Attendance was affected by rainy weather on Friday, but Saturday was perfect. The crowds swelled and the golf course was filled with Corvettes and fans. The resort has a large building called the Mega Center, which housed many vendors in air-conditioned comfort. Other vendors were able to display their products in a large paved parking lot.
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The traditional Bloomington events were held throughout the resort. A special collection of fifty significant Corvettes was showcased in the convention center. The Mecum auction sold some impressive Corvettes including a rare 1959 SR-2 factory Corvette for $75,000. The car was in pieces, but its rarity drove the price sky high. The show was rounded out with the Bloomington Gold awards. These awards are presented to the owners of Corvettes whose cars are judged to be factory original cars. VBP was pleased with the response we got from our customers at the show and we look forward to attending next year’s show.
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