On Saturday, August 12, 2023, Geneseo, Illinois will welcome back one of its most famous residents for a special event. Butch Patrick, also known as Eddie Munster from the classic Munsters TV sitcom, will return to Geneseo to celebrate his birthday during a special Geneseo Shoot the Loop event called “Spook the Loop”. Spook the Loop will be a Halloween themed Geneseo Shoot the Loop event, celebrating Butch’s iconic role as Eddie Munster.
Butch Patrick is a former resident of Geneseo, Illinois. Butch lived in Geneseo as a child, prior to heading to Hollywood to begin his acting career. In Geneseo, Butch lived above a Downtown storefront and attended school at St. Malachy Elementary School in Geneseo. After arriving in Hollywood, Butch went on to star in a number of classic TV sitcoms, including The Munsters, Lidsville, Bonanza, My Favorite Martian, Gunsmoke, Mister Ed, Rawhide, The Real McCoys, General Hospital, I Dream of Jeannie, Gunsmoke, The Monkees, Daniel Boone, and My Three Sons.
Butch Patrick will host a meet & greet for fans in Downtown Geneseo on Saturday August 12, 2023 from 1:30pm to 3:00 pm in the former Four Seasons Outlet Building, located at 120 S. State St. Butch’s famous Dragula car and his Munster Chopper motorcycle will be on hand for guests to snap photos and get a close up look at these amazing vehicles.
The Spook The Loop event will be a fun variation of the Geneseo Shoot the Loop events – which occur monthly in the summertime months in Geneseo. The Geneseo Shoot the Loop events begin in 202 as a way for people to support small businesses who were affected by the pandemic-related shut downs. The new tradition has continued post-pandemic and is more popular than ever! Over 300 classic cars are expected in Geneseo for the Spook the Loop event at the City Park, which will run from 4p-8p. Public parking will be extremely limited in this area of the Park during the event.
The event will also feature an ice cream social and a Geneseo Big Band performance from 4p-5p, benefitting local non-profits. A Loop Cruise will take place beginning at 5pm, and Butch Patrick will serve as the Grand Marshal of the car parade that will make it’s way through Downtown Geneseo in a circular fashion. The event will have a parade-like atmosphere, and guests are invited to join and say hi to Butch as he cruises by on his Munster Chopper!
Capping the evening will be a performance by Lynn Allen at the Central Bank Pavilion, sponsored by Hanford Insurance, from 8p-11p in Downtown Geneseo. Butch and his show cars will be on hand from 7p-9p at the Central Bank Pavilion area.
For more information, please contact the Geneseo Chamber of Commerce at 309-944-2686, or visit our website at www.geneseo.org.