Sign at Fender’s River Road Resort shines again

The historic neon sign at Fender’s River Road Resort in Needles, California, shined again Saturday evening during a relighting ceremony.

Here’s a short video posted on Facebook by the good folks from Route 66 Navigation:

Jim Hinckley also hosted an hour-long Facebook Live session before the sign was fired up.

Colorado photographer and videographer KC Keefer, known for his Genuine Route 66 Life videos, shepherded the crowdfunding campaign to restore the sign.

He stated Friday in a Facebook post:

We consider ourselves blessed to see this three times repurposed old neon sign completely restored for what is technically it’s fourth reincarnation. Even though we were able to contract professional help this was anything but easy. Challenges were constant but overcome. Despite threatening winds today the sign was safely reinstalled and looks better than ever. Thanks to the generous financial support of the world-wide Route 66 community and the loyal patrons of Fenders this neon sign will live again starting tomorrow night. Last night after driving it down from Kingman we had a brief private viewing out back on the trailer. It was a real kick.

The sign was removed in April for restoration by Legacy Signs and Iron in nearby Kingman, Arizona. SignCo of Fort Mojave, Arizona, reinstalled the sign. The total cost was about $5,600.

Fender’s, which dates to the 1960s, sits on a section of highway that was once was part of the 1912 National Old Trails Road that linked Baltimore to Los Angeles as a precursor to Route 66.

(Image of the restored Fender’s River Road Resort sign in Needles, California, by Jessica Ranae Algis May via Facebook)