Over 4,000 Athletes Coming to Peoria

The 2013 National Softball Association (NSA) "B" World Softball Championship is headed to EastSide Centre and four additional area locations beginning Monday, July 22.

There will be a total of seven age divisions including 8u, 10u, 12u, 14u, 16u, 18u and 23u (weekend only), competing from Tuesday, July 23 to Saturday, July 27. All of the age groups will play games at EastSide, but Birchwood Park (Morton), Medina Township Park (Mossville), Avanti's Dome (Pekin), Dragon Dome (Pekin), and Shute School (East Peoria) will be used as supporting locations.

 The week will kick off on Monday, July 22 with the opening ceremony and parade on the Peoria riverfront. At 6:00 p.m., the teams will start underneath the Bob Michael Bridge and parade down Water Street to the CEFCU Center Stage. NSA representatives and local government officials will welcome the athletes to the week-long event at 7:15 p.m. At 7:30, the "Fuedin Hillbillys" will perform for the group to go along with additional entertainment including Fun on the Run inflatables, food vendors, a dunk tank and more.

On Wednesday, July 24, the Peoria Riverfront Museum will play host to the Pin Swap, where teams will have a chance to exchange pins with the other teams in the tournament. Many museum exhibits, as well as the Giant Screen Theater and Dome Planetarium, will be available to the large group. Along with the museum, the Caterpillar Visitors Center will extend their hours to accommodate the guests.

 For additional information, head to http://nsanorth.com/.

About the Impact to Peoria: The 2013 NSA "B" World Softball Championship will create an economic impact of about $2,186,464 and fill 6,356 hotel rooms in the Peoria Area. There will be about 5,000 individuals in attendance.

Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau: The PACVB represents an eight county region including Bureau, Fulton, Marshall, Mason, Peoria, Stark, Tazewell, and Woodford.  The organization's mission is to promote the Peoria Area as a destination for visitors and contribute to the economic growth of the communities they represent.