Festival resumes awards banquet, starts Route 66 Walk of Fame

Organizers in Kingman, Ariz., are well into their planning of the 2014 International Route 66 Festival in August, including the resumption of the annual awards banquet and a new Route 66 Walk of Fame.

Route 66 author Jim Hinckley recently emailed a brochure from organizers for the Aug. 14-17 event. You can read the brochure here (PDF file), but a few things stood out that are noteworthy.

— The Route 66 Alliance is planning an awards banquet at the Powerhouse Visitors Center on Friday night. Despite the overall success of the festival at Joplin, Mo., this year, some attendees were disappointed the awards banquet had taken a hiatus.

— A semi-permanent Route 66 Walk of Fame will be unveiled Friday morning during the opening ceremonies. It’s tentatively planned to have the induction be an annual event.

— A Bob Waldmire art exhibit will be held in conjunction with a Volkswagen Crossroads Car Show. For new readers, Waldmire was well-known Route 66-based artist who died of cancer in 2009. Joining the art exhibit, with a VW show seems appropriate, as he drove a 1970s minibus for many years before his death.

Other items on the festival schedule:

  • Authors, artists, and collectors exhibition
  • Cruise night on Route 66
  • Sock hop and drive-in movie at the fairgrounds
  • California Cruising Caravan
  • Route 66 film festival
  • Dirt bike competition
  • Topsy Turvy Bowling Tournament
  • Wine-tasting event
  • Golf tournament
  • Cocktails & Corks event
  • Distillers’ Choice barrel tasting at Desert Diamond Distillery
  • Beale Street Meet and Greet
  • Alpaca ranch tour

The Hualapai Nation and Grand Canyon West Resort are partnering with Kingman organizers on the festival.

(Image of Route 66 lights at the Powerhouse Visitors Center in Kingman, Ariz., by Frank Swift via Flickr)

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