The Corvette Homecoming, which will be this weekend, is going through big changes this year.

It’s no longer known as the Corvette Homecoming. It is now the Corvette Homecoming and Chevy Invitational Inc.

“The addition of the Chevrolets is probably the biggest one. It’s basically an economic thing. There have been several people who wanted me to do it for a long time,” homecoming owner Joe Pruitt said. “I wanted to be a purist. This was the time to do it. I think it’s going to be the best thing for the show.”

Another change is that there will be an auction at 11 a.m. Saturday in front of Sloan Convention Center at 1021 Wilkinson Trace, which is where most of the activities will take place.

“We have close to 70 cars in it or more. We will have some memorabilia. We will have several Corvettes, really nice cars,” Pruitt said. “It’s just one of those things we’re doing to pep the show up. It’s 35 years old, and we want to keep it going another bunch.”

Admission is $10 per day per person. Children under 12 receive free admission.

“We need the children to get them involved in our hobby,” Pruitt said.

This year’s homecoming was heavily advertised, Pruitt said.

“We have put out more advertising locally than we ever had,” he said. “We’re trying to get Bowling Green and the surrounding area to come.”

There are more people preregistered than ever before, Pruitt said.

“We have more cars in the (convention center ballroom) and they’re a higher standard of car,” he said. “We’ve got some really fantastic cars in the building this time. We will have 40-some odd cars in the building.”

The homecoming starts at 5 p.m. Thursday with cars downtown in front of 643 Sports Bar and Mariah’s. There will be live music.

On Friday, there will be seminars, car judging and vendors. A road tour will be at 4:30 p.m. that will start at the National Corvette Museum truck parking lot. The parade will come back down Scottsville Road about 6 p.m. When they get back to the convention center, Johnnie Mikel will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. Admission is free. Concessions will be available.

More judging will happen Saturday. Awards will be at 3 p.m. A dinner and dance for those who are registered for the homecoming will start with the dinner at 6 p.m. and the dance at 8 p.m. Dizzorderly Conduct will perform.

Pruitt teamed up with Cruisin’ for a Cure to put on a show at 8 a.m. Saturday. Proceeds will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association, Hospice of Southern Kentucky and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

“We realize there are a lot of Chevys that people drive. I have made a one-day special price of $25 for Chevys and Corvettes that want to come in for one day,” he said. “Five dollars of that is going to Cruisin’s for a Cure.”

The grand marshal for the homecoming is Guy Larsen, owner of the Bloomington Gold Corvette Show. Pruitt already knows who will be the grand marshal for next year’s homecoming. It will be Ken Lingenfelter.

“He’s the owner of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering and a car collector with a collection of over 200 cars,” he said. “Forty percent are Corvettes.”

Pruitt hopes for a good turnout for the homecoming.

“We’re hoping to have 3,000, 4,000 people,” he said. “It would tickle me to death.”

— Follow features reporter Alyssa Harvey on Twitter @bgdnfeatures or visit bgdailynews.com.