Two Route 66 festivals on the same weekend but more than 1,500 miles part drew good crowds over the Sept. 25-27 weekend. The president of the board of directors for the 14th annual International Route 66 Mother Road Festival in downtown Springfield, Illinois, told the State Journal-Register that festival attendance was up "substantially" this year. The … Continue reading Route 66 events on same weekend draw crowds
Category: Events
Clifton’s Cafeteria reopens Thursday
Clifton's Cafeteria, a mainstay in downtown Los Angeles since 1935, will reopen Thursday after a massive renovation that took $14 million and four years. The restaurant was supposed to reopen Sept. 22, but owner Andrew Meieran and its operators decided to delay it a few days after a ceremonial ribbon-cutting Sept. 17 apparently revealed a few kinks … Continue reading Clifton’s Cafeteria reopens Thursday
Larry the Cable Guy meets Tow Tater
Comedian Larry the Cable Guy voiced the hillbilly tow-truck character of Tow Mater in the 2006 Disney-Pixar animated film "Cars" and the sequel "Cars 2." The first film's portrayal of the fictional Route 66 town of Radiator Springs brought the Mother Road's story to a new generation of travelers. The inspiration to Tow Mater was … Continue reading Larry the Cable Guy meets Tow Tater
Macoupin County Courthouse finishes north-stair renovations
The historic Macoupin County Courthouse in Carlinville, Illinois, nicknamed the Million Dollar Courthouse, finished $200,000 in much-needed renovations, according to the State Journal-Register in nearby Springfield. The occasion will be celebrated with a program at 11 a.m. Saturday at the courthouse, followed by guided tours, an Abraham Lincoln presenter and the Macoupin County Historical Society Fall Festival. The courthouse's … Continue reading Macoupin County Courthouse finishes north-stair renovations
Dutch couple honored with brick in Kingman’s Route 66 Walk of Fame
Dutch tour operator Dries Bessels and his wife Marion this week were officially honored as Route 66 Walk of Fame in Kingman, Arizona, as Dries brought a group of 50 of his fellow countryman on a cross-country journey on the Mother Road, according to the Kingman Daily Miner. The Walk of Fame was created, Dora … Continue reading Dutch couple honored with brick in Kingman’s Route 66 Walk of Fame
Grants city council votes to not support bike rally
The city council of Grants, New Mexico, voted this week -- with the mayor casting the tiebreaker -- to no longer support the Fire & Ice Bike Rally on Route 66 after concerns about public safety, according to the Cibola County Beacon. During the previous city council meeting, Police Chief Craig Vandiver reported more than 150 … Continue reading Grants city council votes to not support bike rally
Galena needs volunteers to help plant trees on Route 66
A few weeks ago, we told you about a Dutch arborist who was helping the Route 66 town of Galena, Kansas, plant trees, using the Groasis Waterbox method, in the city's rugged soils degraded by decades of lead mining. Beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday, the Kansas Historic Route 66 Association is asking for volunteers to help … Continue reading Galena needs volunteers to help plant trees on Route 66
23,000 attend Birthplace of Route 66 Festival
About 23,000 people visited downtown Springfield, Missouri, during the past weekend's Birthplace of Route 66 Festival, only in its fifth year of existence. About 5,000 also attended the Route 66 parade during the festival, according to city officials cited Sunday by KSPR-TV in Springfield. More than 400 entries were in the parade. Business owners, including … Continue reading 23,000 attend Birthplace of Route 66 Festival
Springfield stations go whole hog on Route 66 coverage
To help publicize the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival in Springfield, Missouri, this coming weekend, reporters and crews from the television sister stations KY3 / KSPR in town did a trip on Route 66 to see what's there. Nice work if you can get it. KY3 went from Santa Monica to Springfield, and KSPR went … Continue reading Springfield stations go whole hog on Route 66 coverage
Grants mayor wants to end Fire and Ice Bike Rally
Grants, New Mexico, Mayor Martin Hicks and several city councilors want to end the city's annual Historic Route 66 Fire and Ice Bike Rally because of a spike in crime at the event last month and fears of a "major incident" breaking out at future events. According to the Cibola County Beacon newspaper: According to … Continue reading Grants mayor wants to end Fire and Ice Bike Rally