A fire early Wednesday destroyed the Shamrock Community Center in Shamrock, Texas, a site of a major Route 66 festival in 2018 and a venue for several events at next month's St. Patrick's Day Celebration. Shamrock's mayor lamented the loss of the historic building but vowed to "work through it" for the St. Patrick's event. … Continue reading Fire destroys community center in Shamrock
Category: Events
Fire station in Tulsa rededicated for Route 66
Tulsa's only fire station on Route 66, Fire Station 30, was rededicated this week as Fire Station 66 with a splashy new logo and renaming its trucks Engine and Ladder 66, with “Keepers of the Mother Road” across their cabs. Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, city officials and Route 66 enthusiasts attended the rededication ceremony … Continue reading Fire station in Tulsa rededicated for Route 66
Old Joliet Prison to host 40th-anniversary party for “Blues Brothers” movie
The Old Joliet Prison, now converted into a tourism site, in Joliet, Illinois, will host a big bash in August to mark the 40th anniversary of "The Blues Brothers" movie, part of which was originally filmed there. The Herald-News, based in Joliet, reported the celebration will be a two-day event. Final dates aren't 100% set, … Continue reading Old Joliet Prison to host 40th-anniversary party for “Blues Brothers” movie
Neon sign relighted at De Anza Motor Lodge in Albuquerque
The historic and restored neon sign for De Anza Motor Lodge in Albuquerque was relighted during a ceremony Sunday evening. Here's a countdown video of the relighting from the motel's Facebook page: Here are more images Sunday evening from the New Mexico Route 66 Association: A few days ago, the Albuquerque Journal published a story … Continue reading Neon sign relighted at De Anza Motor Lodge in Albuquerque
De Anza Motor Lodge sign will be relighted Sunday
The neon sign for the De Anza Motor Lodge in Albuquerque will be relighted in a ceremony Sunday evening. The Route 66 motel at 4301 Central Ave., most of which has been converted into higher-end apartments, announced on Instagram and other social media the relighting will occur at 5 p.m. Sunday. De Anza also is … Continue reading De Anza Motor Lodge sign will be relighted Sunday
Route 66 stakeholders trade ideas at Oklahoma’s first Route 66 Convention
A bunch of Route 66 business owners or advocates of that historic highway gathered this week at the Oklahoma History Center in Oklahoma City for the first Route 66 Convention in that state. The event was shepherded by Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell, who also runs the state's tourism department and has made boosting visitorship in … Continue reading Route 66 stakeholders trade ideas at Oklahoma’s first Route 66 Convention
Photographer will hold ‘Pix on Route 66’ exhibition in Cleveland
Photographer David Schwartz, who's been documenting Route 66 for about 15 years, will debut his "Pix on Route 66" exhibition Friday through Sunday in Cleveland's Little Italy Holiday Art Walk. Freshwater Cleveland reports: Culled from years of road trips down the iconic highway, Schwartz's photos depict vivid slices of Americana. Think vintage motel signs, mom-and-pop … Continue reading Photographer will hold ‘Pix on Route 66’ exhibition in Cleveland
Offbeat world record broken at Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa
A world record of sorts was set during Sunday's annual Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa. Julia Webb, 36, of Little Rock, Arkansas, set a Guinness Book of World Records mark by pushing a stroller in a record time of 1 hour, 21 minutes, 24 seconds over a half-marathon of 13.1 miles, according to the Tulsa … Continue reading Offbeat world record broken at Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa
Roy’s sign in Amboy glows again for the first time in 30 years
The iconic Roy's Motel & Cafe neon sign in Amboy, California, glowed for the first time in at least 30 years during a relighting ceremony Saturday night. The event coincided with the Great Amboy Fly-In, Part 2, where private planes use Amboy's nearby airstrip. Here a video of the countdown to the relighting at twilight … Continue reading Roy’s sign in Amboy glows again for the first time in 30 years
End of an era: Final Dust Bowl Festival held at Weedpatch Camp
Weedpatch Camp, immortalized by John Steinbeck's novel "The Grapes of Wrath," recently held its 30th and last Dust Bowl Festival on the outskirts of Bakersfield, California. Simply put, the festival is being shut down because the survivors of that calamity have gotten too old to run it. A local television station did a preview about … Continue reading End of an era: Final Dust Bowl Festival held at Weedpatch Camp