California Route 66 group may partner with Needles group

The California Historic Route 66 Association is examining the possibility of a permanent partnership with the Needles Downtown Business Alliance in Needles, California. Sharon Foster of the California association attended a meeting of the alliance earlier this month, reported the Needles Desert Star. Part of what she wanted to accomplish was to bring Needles back … Continue reading California Route 66 group may partner with Needles group

Route 66 Festival in 2016 will have a new twist

Organizers say the 2016 International Route 66 Festival in downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 10-13 will be the first time the festival is in a metropolitan setting. To that end, co-organizer Scott Piotrowski in an email noted another big difference potential attendees should to know: It is important to note that for the first time, … Continue reading Route 66 Festival in 2016 will have a new twist

Route 66 Alliance getting out of the festival business

A news release a few days ago reported the Route 66 Alliance and the National Historic Route 66 Federation had formalized their affiliation with each other and bring them under the umbrella of the fledgling U.S. 66 Highway Association. The merger between the two organizations was announced months ago, as was the revival of the … Continue reading Route 66 Alliance getting out of the festival business

Kingman will create annual Route 66 festival

Inspired by last year's International Route 66 Festival, residents and the city of Kingman, Arizona, are planning on a big Route 66 event each year, reported the Daily Miner newspaper. The festival will be called Best of the West on Route 66, and it will combine popular car shows and the annual Andy Devine Days … Continue reading Kingman will create annual Route 66 festival

Route 66 conference in Edwardsville canceled

A Route 66 conference slated for late October in Edwardsville, Illinois, has been canceled because of logistical challenges in organizing it, according to a news release sent Tuesday. Cheryl Eichar Jett wrote in the release: Unfortunately, it was too much of a logistical challenge with the City of Edwardsville and plans have never been finalized. There … Continue reading Route 66 conference in Edwardsville canceled

Kingman festival boosts local economy

The town of Kingman, Arizona, saw a sizable increase in revenue because of the International Route 66 Festival in August, according to an article in the Kingman Daily Miner. Here's the breakdown from the July-to-September period: • Nearly 39,000 travelers visited the Powerhouse Visitor Center, a 20 percent increase over the same period in 2013 … Continue reading Kingman festival boosts local economy

How did the Kingman Route 66 festival do?

The answer: Pretty well; thanks for asking. The town of Kingman, Arizona, hosted the annual International Route 66 Festival for the first time last weekend. I've cobbled together some highlights from the event: Estimated attendance, according to the Kingman Daily Miner newspaper, was 6,000, which was in line with forecasts. About 60 percent of festival attendees … Continue reading How did the Kingman Route 66 festival do?

Conferences at Route 66 festival will be streamed live

A series of speeches for a two-day conference called "Route 66 Crossroads of the Past and Future" will be streamed over the Internet live on Friday and Saturday during the International Route 66 Festival in Kingman, Arizona, it was announced Wednesday. The video stream will be on Mohave County's official channel on YouTube. In addition, … Continue reading Conferences at Route 66 festival will be streamed live

Will the Route 66 festival transform Kingman?

The Kingman Daily Miner newspaper posted an interesting article this week about Route 66's growing economic influence and whether the upcoming International Route 66 Festival will transform the host town of Kingman, Arizona. The article borrows heavily from the influential Route 66 Economic Impact Study and anecdotal evidence on how Route 66 affects other towns, … Continue reading Will the Route 66 festival transform Kingman?

Route 66 Walk of Fame nominees announced

One of the events on tap for the Route 66 International Festival in Kingman, Arizona, on Aug. 14-17 is the dedication of the Route 66 Walk of Fame along Andy Devine Avenue (aka Route 66). This week, the Kingman Area Chamber of Commerce announced the nominees for the Walk of Fame of individuals "who transformed … Continue reading Route 66 Walk of Fame nominees announced