Merchants along Sixth Street, aka Route 66, in Amarillo, Texas, have long been waiting for the city to do something about revitalization.
They got tired of waiting. The Route 66 Business Association and San Jacinto Christian Academy teamed up to create the first annual Historic Route 66 Fall Festival on Oct. 6, reports The Ranger, a newspaper published by Amarillo College.
Festivities included face painting, pumpkin painting, live music, free fall portraits, radio give-aways, art, food and beverages.
“We wanted to do this festival to bring people back around Sixth Street,” said Angela Corpening, secretary of the Route 66 Business Association and owner of the Golden Light Café.
Amid the fun was San Jacinto Christian Academy’s Celebration on Wheels, featuring an estimated $5 million worth of show cars. […]
“Route 66 has a lot of new businesses that have opened up recently, and we just want people to come and check it out for themselves,” said Megan Easley, owner of Blue Sage Art Gallery. […]
Blue Sage Art Gallery is just one of many shops that make Sixth Street a unique part of Amarillo. The historic part of Amarillo is a reminder of how far the city has come in the past 100 years.
Corpening said the first Historic Route 66 Fall Festival was considered a success and that she expects it to take place annually.
“We had a great turnout,” she said.
The Route 66 Business Association even has its open Web site here.