The City of Tulsa is planning a statewide Route 66 centennial celebration on May 30, 2026, that includes a huge car parade and other events. News on 6 in Tulsa was the first to have the story, though details still are a bit fuzzy. One of the tentative events is a parade featuring thousands of … Continue reading Tulsa plans statewide Route 66 centennial celebration on May 30, 2026
Tag: Route 66 centennial
Longtime TV travel host Samantha Brown will feature western Route 66 in future episodes
Longtime television travel host Samantha Brown revealed in a recent interview that she will feature Route 66 from Albuquerque to Santa Monica in future episodes of her PBS show. Brown, who is marking 25 years on television, sat for an interview with USA Today before the season premiere of "Samantha Brown's Places to Love." It … Continue reading Longtime TV travel host Samantha Brown will feature western Route 66 in future episodes
Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway announces first Route 66 centennial celebration in 2026
The Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway earlier this week announced a Route 66 centennial event in 2026 -- the first of many that will be scheduled that year. The byway's Statewide Conference and Centennial Celebration will take place on Nov. 11, 2026, at Route 66 Motorheads in Springfield, Illinois, it announced in a news release. "This momentous event … Continue reading Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway announces first Route 66 centennial celebration in 2026
Route 66 Christmas Chute in Sapulpa taking a one-year break due to street work
The popular Route 66 Christmas Chute in downtown Sapulpa, Oklahoma, will take a break in 2025 because of a long-planned streetscape redesign on Dewey Street (aka Route 66). Organizers of the holiday event said it would resume in 2026, the same year as Route 66's centennial. The Route 66 Christmas Chute announced the one-year hiatus … Continue reading Route 66 Christmas Chute in Sapulpa taking a one-year break due to street work
Request for proposals issued for cities that want to be Route 66 Centennial Kick-Off site
Towns along Route 66 are being asked to submit a proposal to be an official Route 66 Centennial Kick-Off Host City when the highway marks its 100th anniversary in 2026. The proposed kick-off date would be April 30, 2026 -- the day in 1926 that the number 66 was assigned as the official number for … Continue reading Request for proposals issued for cities that want to be Route 66 Centennial Kick-Off site
Rainbow Bridge near Baxter Springs in line for funding to repaint it
One way or another, it appears the Marsh Arch Bridge, aka Rainbow Bridge, on old Route 66 near Baxter Springs, Kansas, will be repainted before the highway's centennial in 2026. According to the Galena Sentinel-Times, Gearhead Curios owner Aaron Perry and Machelle Smith of the Route 66 Association of Kansas recently approached the Cherokee County … Continue reading Rainbow Bridge near Baxter Springs in line for funding to repaint it
Great Route 66 Centennial Convergence set for Santa Monica Pier on April 2026
The centennial year of Route 66 is still well over a year away, but an event called the Great Route66 Centennial Convergence has been scheduled for April 30, 2026, at the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, California. Social media influencer John Binns of Australia, with the handle of Wasteland Firebird, is organizing the event. … Continue reading Great Route 66 Centennial Convergence set for Santa Monica Pier on April 2026
State Historical Society of Missouri wants Route 66 stories and items for exhibit in 2026
The State Historical Society of Missouri is collecting items and stories about Route 66 so it can launch an exhibit during the highway's centennial in 2026. According to NPR in Kansas City, researchers hope to “fill in historical gaps” by recording the experiences -- especially those of women, immigrants and Black Americans -- who traveled … Continue reading State Historical Society of Missouri wants Route 66 stories and items for exhibit in 2026
New video details the changes on Route 66 between 2007 and 2024
Route 66 enthusiast Mike Curtis, aka 2 Lane Traveler on YouTube, recently created a 20-minute video detailing the changes on the Mother Road from 2007 to 2024. The video thumbnail comes with a provocative question: "Thriving or dying?" (Spoiler alert: Definitely not dying; Curtis asserts the old road is simply changing.) https://youtu.be/qpNoshXr-bY?si=_dsqhgfTLccLQgKs The video is … Continue reading New video details the changes on Route 66 between 2007 and 2024
Illinois Office of Tourism, Rivian Automotive partner on Route 66 video series
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Tourism, is partnering with Rivian Automotive Inc. to kick off the state’s celebration of Route 66's centennial in 2026. Through a series of videos, the collaboration will showcase the experiences of three travel influencers -- from the United Kingdom, Canada and the U.S. who are … Continue reading Illinois Office of Tourism, Rivian Automotive partner on Route 66 video series