Corvette: Thunder in the Glen

Corvette: Thunder in the Glen celebrates the 73rd anniversary of America’s sports car on May 15-16, 2026, honoring the connection between Watkins Glen and the Corvette’s origin story. General Motors chief stylist Harley J. Earl attended the 1951 races in Watkins Glen and drew inspiration for the Corvette design, which debuted two years later in 1953 at the Glen races. This two-day festival spreads across Clute Park on Seneca Lake’s shore, downtown Franklin Street, and Watkins Glen International, bringing together Corvette enthusiasts for car displays, parade laps, and celebrations of automotive history.

The weekend kicks off Friday evening with a sunset cocktail reception at the Seneca Lake Events Center, where guest of honor Ron Fellows, a legendary sports car and NASCAR driver, leads a Q&A session about his racing career and Corvette expertise. Saturday runs from 11am to 4pm at Clute Park along the Seneca Lake Trailway, where registered Corvettes line up for a lakeside car show. Past events have drawn over 130 Corvettes from multiple generations, from pristine 1967 convertibles to the latest C8 mid-engine models. Food vendors and live music fill the park while spectators walk among the cars, talking with owners about restoration details and performance modifications.

Downtown Watkins Glen takes over on Sunday from 11am to 4pm, when Franklin Street closes from Fourth Street to the Schuyler County Courthouse for a Corvette-only display. At 3pm, engines fire up for paced parade laps on the original 6.6-mile street circuit that hosted races from 1948 to 1952, following the same route where the first Corvette appeared in 1953. After the street laps, the caravan heads to Watkins Glen International for parade laps on the modern Grand Prix circuit, giving participants a chance to drive both historic and current racetracks in a single afternoon.

Registration for car show participants opens months in advance and typically sells out quickly. Spectators can attend all public events for free, including the park show, street display, and parade laps. Hotel packages are available through partner properties including The Hotel Radisson Corning and The Hotel Laurel, both offering discounted rates for festival attendees. Reserve rooms early, as accommodations fill throughout the region during Corvette weekend.

Between automotive activities, explore Watkins Glen village shops and galleries along Franklin Street, or drive to Seneca Harbor Park for waterfront walks and photo opportunities. For meals, try Curly’s Family Restaurant (established 1974) for breakfast or Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel’s dining room (rebuilt 2017) for dinner with marina views. After the festival wraps, extend your Finger Lakes stay by booking lakefront rentals on Lake.com along Seneca Lake or nearby Cayuga Lake, where you can balance Corvette memories with wine tastings, gorge hikes, and sunset cruises.