Some details about the Rockin’ Route 66 festival in Tucumcari, New Mexico, on June 27-30 were released last week, revealing a few key differences from the festival’s predecessor, Rockabilly on the Route.
— First, Rockin’ Route 66 will not feature just rockabilly music, as its forerunner did.
According to an email from Brian Whitcomb, president of Garage 71 Radio and Grease Inc. Magazine and organizer of the 2019 festival:
Throughout the day at local venues and then featured national acts in the evening at the New Mexico Route 66 Museum, we will feature music acts including rockabilly, ska, swing, blues and Americana — all of which were genres giving Route 66 a very distinct vibe in the ’50s. From Chicago blues to the big bands of the West Coast, Rockin Route 66 will be creating a very diverse blend of music and musicians from local to our national favorites.
In a follow-up email, Whitcomb wrote:
I have never been closed-minded on great music, no matter what the genre. It is also amazing how many genres actually complement or pair well with a diverse lineup. There is still a formula we have created and an atmosphere we are targeting.
With more kinds of music offered at the festival, chances are it will appeal to a broader range of people, as well.
— The festival will have a Taste of New Mexico theme with its food booths.
Whitcomb said Rockin’ Route 66 will be “sourcing local and regional restaurants in the New Mexico area to highlight specific flavors of the region.”
Whitcomb elaborated on a follow-up email:
With working and attending festivals and events nationwide, there is never a trip where we “search” out the fast food chain. No way! We eat and search for local eateries, bars, local dives, food trucks, you name it. I think it is amazing how diverse America is. Why would you want to eat anywhere other than some place local? New Mexico offers so much when it comes to a diverse culinary experience. We are really excited about this portion of the festival, as well as working with several local establishments, like Watson’s BBQ and Kix. Both are the must stops when in Tucumcari when it comes to food.
The festival will continue with Rockabilly on the Route favorites, including a car show, bike show, vendors market, pin-up contest and Fashion Show. Most events will be at the Tucumcari Convention Center, but a few others will be sprinkled around other venues in town.
Rockabilly on the Route went on an apparently permanent hiatus after the fifth edition of the festival in 2017.
Whitcomb wrote:
I can not stress enough, we are not competing with history. Rockabilly on the Route was one of our favorite events to work and be a part of. There were so many amazing stories to come from our experiences for the three years we were a part of it. We hope our passion to a lifestyle we live and breathe on a daily basis translates to a great time for all attending, both local and traveling. […]
We have created lifelong friendships in the City of Tucumcari, as well as many other Route 66 locations, including: Amarillo, Texas; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Shamrock, Texas, and so many more off the beaten path. We have named this festival the Great American Road Trip, hoping that everyone who travels here shares their stories about the road trip along the way. We have spent hours at abandoned gas stations talking, taking pictures, and walking the fields. We have met countless of true Americans in local restaurants and bars across the highway. We have crashed in motels to hotels, from roach to coach, and have had a blast each and every time. Rockin Route 66 is about celebrating. It’s a celebration of history. It’s a celebration of kulture. It’s a celebration of tradition. It’s a celebration of life on the road, where one may believe is the “capital” of Route 66.
The festival is selling general admission tickets now, with early-bird discounts.
(Image of Rockin’ Route 66 festival logo courtesy of Brian Whitcomb)
Will there be a beer garden at the convention center in Tucumcari NM?