Corvettes are coming...

The First Annual Heart of the Ozarks Corvette Show is coming to Harrison this month.

The Heart of Oklahoma Corvette Club (HOCC) has been working with Harrison officials and business representatives to put the event together for some time now. According to the car club's vice president — David Finley, the initial idea for the event started in 2020 and a lot of thought has been given to how to pull it off and make it successful. "We are supporting charities with the show, so it is vitally important to the club that we are well-organized," said Finley.

In 2020, a car event held in Eureka Springs was cancelled due to COVID, but 400 Corvette owners went anyway. They held a "Corvettes and Coffee" meet-up there instead of the official show, because the city wouldn't allow it. Finley explained that this is how the ball got rolling toward this new annual show that is on its way to Harrison. The Corvette club put a cruise together that came through Boone County. This meant 150-250 Corvette owners coming through on that occasion, and the club was in contact with Explore Harrison while organizing a run from El Dorado to Harrison.

Later, representatives of Explore Harrison initiated planning for a full Corvette show by reaching out to the club to let them know that the town would be a great place to hold one. Finley shared that Kyle Strain, sales director at Explore Harrison, had a four-page bid proposal for the club. "Kyle strain is a good guy," said Finley, "a mover, a shaker and very polite. People like Kyle are the future of Harrison."

In January 2024, the Corvette club's core officer group met with Strain and other city representatives. "We got an idea of the lay of the land and then brought the bid back to our membership," said Finley. The members accepted the bid and put together a committee to see to it.

The bid demonstrated that the town was a good venue, with useful resources like the Lyric Theater for hosting an awards ceremony, and with support from local businesses like Wood Chevrolet. Clint Broome, owner of Strand Composites, is entering three Corvettes in the show and donated to sponsor trophies for the event. The car club is using a local business, Impact Tees, as the printer for the event's commemorative shirts.

The bulk of the event's sponsors are from Oklahoma. Finley explained that the "Oklahoma Standard" — a commitment to kindness, generosity, and service to others, inspires sponsors to support the groups efforts. This "Standard" is one that became a statewide initiative after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah building in 1995. Oklahomans pulled together to support one another through that tragedy and have continued to strive to live up to that standard still. Members of the Heart of Oklahoma Corvette Club pursue the standard through their own charitable efforts.

HOCC has 85 dues paying members, and is followed by over 900 individual Corvette owners, according to Finley. The club was established in June 2023, with a purpose to encourage participation in the club which is a registered non-profit. The members of HOCC assist with charitable events and support their local schools and other community activities.

It is not only club members that will be rolling into Harrison, however. They have pre-registrations from Corvette enthusiasts from places like Kansas, Missouri, Texas, and from here in Arkansas as well. One registrant is driving nearly 600 miles to come to the event. “This corvette show is reaching individuals who are going to be out there seeing the Ozarks,” said Finley. "It's an opportunity to capture repeat visitors.”

Car show participants are due to begin arriving on Sept. 19. "A lot of people are looking at this as a one day event and it is as far as the show is concerned," said Finley, "but the Corvettes will be there the 19th through the 22nd."

Matt Bell, executive director of Explore Harrison, shared his excitement about the event, "We are extremely excited to host the First Annual Heart of the Ozarks Corvette Car Show in Harrison. We will see Corvettes from several states and we are encouraging local Corvette owners to join in on the fun. Be sure to come downtown on Saturday to see the largest Corvette Car Show in Harrison's history!"

You can learn more about the Heart of Oklahoma Corvette Club and find information about the car show's judging categories and registration information online at: https://www.hocc.club/

A "Meet and Greet / Registration" will be from 5 — 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20 at Wood Chevrolet and also 7:30 — 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21 on the downtown square in Harrison. Parking of the show cars will open at 7 a.m., Saturday Sept. 21 on the square.

Food and drinks will be available, and there will be a silent auction, raffles, and door prizes. The proceeds from the event benefit Pet Food Pantry Central Oklahoma’s Food Bank for Pets, Autism OKLAHOMA.Org and the Tyler Buck Strong Foundation.