Pop quiz: After December, what month in 2025 brought in the most retail sales for the city of Peru?

Take a bow if you answered May. The TBM Avengers have, in recent years, provided a nice boost for Peru’s city coffers during the merry month of May.

The 11th annual TBM Avenger Reunion & Salute to Veterans will be May 15-16 at the Illinois Valley Regional Airport. Weather will have considerable sway over attendance, but Alderman Jim Lukosus said Wednesday that the city anticipates a 15% increase in attendance during the two-day event.

Last year’s Avenger show attracted an estimated 15,000 to 17,000 visitors during two days, and this year’s projection is about 20,000 visitors. Lukosus said that retailers, restaurateurs and hoteliers have expressed excitement about the flock coming in.

Somewhat less certain is how many TBM Avengers will fly in.

“We’ve gotten very good responses,” Lukosus said. “Between 12 and 14 owners said they were planning to come. If we get 10, we’d be real happy. Some of these 80-year-old aircraft don’t make it all the way to Peru.”

Peru Mayor Ken Kolowski said he’s hoping for a double-digit response and good weather because the event is mushrooming in popularity and because the city is always eager to honor the men and women who served.

Kolowski said the TBM show also boosts the city’s retail revenue. May is a historically strong retail month because residents buy flowers, patio furniture and supplies for home improvement projects once the weather turns nice.

“But do the TBMs help? Absolutely,” Kolowski said, adding that tourists visit from across the nation. “There’s an uptick in hotels, restaurants and amenities. It’s great. Tourism is a big part of everything.”

That certainly was the case in 2025. The city’s May retail share was a same-month record $723,000, en route to a yearly record $8.4 million. That’s the city’s share only – the city’s total sales volume is much higher. Only at the holidays did the city have a bigger sales month in 2025.

That pattern largely has held since the pandemic ended. Retail sales in May jumped 38% once COVID-19 restrictions were lifted between 2020 and 2021. Line-item revenue data isn’t available to show how much the TBM Avengers contribute, but Kolowski said that the event is a moneymaker and a big draw.

Peru Police Chief Sarah Raymond said parking will be free. Officers will be on hand to direct motorists into parking spaces on the grass. Handicapped-accessible parking will be at the far north entrance on Plank Road, which is the main entrance to the airport.

Smoking is strictly prohibited, as the presence of fumes and oil precludes any sort of open flame. Visitors are to stay in designated areas, not touch any aircraft and abide by all instructions issued by police and event volunteers.