Update 10:45 p.m. Adding final count of communities expressing interest in the Google Fiber project.

Minutes ago, a small plane flew over the Google campus in Mountain View, Calif., trailing a banner that read “Will Google Play in Peoria, IL?”

It was the latest in a series of stunts by cities across the country to get the attention of Google. The Internet giant is promising to build an ultra-high speed network to serve, free, 50,000 to 500,000 people in one or more communities.

The stunts, which I first wrote about on Monday, accompany more serious applications by cities and communities making the case why Google should pick them. Google says that more than 1,100 communities expressed interest in the Google Fiber project by the Friday deadline.

The stunts included the mayor of Duluth, Minn., jumping into Lake Michigan; the mayor of Sarasota, Fla., swimming with sharks; manatees voting with their snouts; and Senator Al Franken playing his old comedian self. They’ve been joined by the Peoria plane; hundreds of students in Ann Arbor, Mich., singing the “A2 Fiber Anthem”; the waving of a flag on Alaska’s Mount McKinley; a people-powered light display in Greenville, S.C.; and a video by Senator Tom Udall, of New Mexico, poking good-natured fun at Mr. Franken’s clip.

So what comes after all the fun and games? Google said it would begin a rigorous review process and decide where to build its fiber network by the end of the year. “As we narrow down our choices, we’ll be conducting site visits, meeting with local officials and consulting with third-party organizations,” James Kelly, a product manager, wrote on the company’s blog.