The local chamber of commerce announced that a grand opening will be held at the new visitors center at the Blue Whale of Catoosa, Oklahoma, on May 30.
The event will be from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. that day, with events throughout.
It includes a Route 66 Blue Whale 5K Run to start the day, crafters and vendors opening their booths at noon, a 2 p.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony, live music starting at 4 p.m. and a fireworks show at 8 p.m.
Vendors interested in participating can fill out an online registration form here.
The Blue Whale site likely will hold a soft opening well before the May 30 event, however.
Earlier this month, the city and company in charge of the project said construction was ahead of schedule of its target completion date of April 15.
The city received a $1.8 million grant from the Oklahoma Route 66 Commission to transform the Blue Whale site off Route 66, especially the visitors center, with neon lighting and other attractions.
Longtime Tulsa-area zookeeper Hugh Davis hand-made the Blue Whale from concrete and rebar in 1970 as an anniversary gift to his wife.
The Blue Whale and its spring-fed pond became a popular swimming hole for locals and travelers along Route 66 alike.
It closed about 1988 and fell into disrepair until it was restored in the early 2000s.
Blaine Davis, Hugh’s son, was the caretaker of the property for many years until the city purchased it in 2021.
(Image from the Blue Whale visitors center grand opening placard)