Organizers of the Route 66 Rendezvous may relocate the classic-car event to Beaumont, Calif., after it was canceled because of severe financial problems by its longtime host city, San Bernardino.
According to a short breaking-news article Wednesday afternoon by the Beaumont Record Gazette:
Community Services Director Bob Sherwood said that the event organizers spoke at the March 19 city council meeting and would like to hold the annual event in Beaumont.
Sherwood said he would meet with organizers on Monday, March 25, to see if details can be worked out. If so, the name would be changed and Sherwood said the event would most likely be held the third weekend of September, like it was in San Bernardino.
Renaming the event would make sense, due mainly to Beaumont never being on Route 66. Beaumont (population 37,000) lies about 25 miles southeast of San Bernardino.
Some people may grouse about organizers moving the Rendezvous. But I suspect they feared if they didn’t land a substitute host quickly, the Rendezvous would be in danger of not resuming at all.
Organizers canceled the 23rd edition of the Route 66 Rendezvous in February amid San Bernardino’s bankruptcy and state budget cuts. Shortly after the cancellation, Ontario, Calif., offered to host the event.
UPDATE: Jim Conkle, a longtime volunteer for the Rendezvous, said in an email that Jack Brown, the CEO of longtime sponsor Stater Bros. Markets, has not agreed to move the event. Conkle also wrote:
On the record whatever Jack agrees to is what the rest of us will go along with.The name and the event has been owned by the SBC&VB, NOT the city of San Bernardino. Yet the city was where the event was held. Now that the SBC&VB is also closing their doors the end of this month it will take a lawyer to sort it all out. […]One plan, and I support it as well as give it my approval for what its worth, is to hold this years event back in Devore at the SB County park, which is where we held the first event over 23 years ago.I cannot speak for Jack Brown but I can share with you that he is hurt and upset that the event is going thru these issues, as are everyone I have been in contact with.Will there be an event this year? YES where and to what degree will be worked out by September.THE RENDEZVOUS IS NOT DEAD for now it might be on life support but I believe in MIRACLES.
Beaumont is on MY Highway. US 99. Route 66 brought the people to California, 99 took them north, to the San Joaquin Valley.
The RENDEZVOUS is not dead and there are too many of us that will not let it die.
Where, at least for this year, is still not been decided. But all of us involved in the event still have the dates of September 19 to 22 set aside for the event.
Hopefully with all the media attention we are getting there will be an event in 2013.
Stay tuned.
I think having it in beaumont is a great idea… you have historic route 99 going right through town whereas route 66 was about 2 miles to the west of its current (and sleazy) location, add to the fact .. there is a better class of poeple in Beaumont as opposed to the rathole area of san bernardino that it was in.