A Route 66 tradition

More than 80,000 spectators and 1,000 cool cars are expected to descend on downtown Springfield this weekend for the 14th annual Route 66 Mother Road Festival. The festival opens on Friday night with the annual Route 66 City Nights Cruise for Crimestoppers, beginning at Capital City Bar and Grill and ending downtown on historic Route 66. Car-centric activities include a horsepower testing station, burnout contest and more. A Family Fun Zone will host games, bounce houses and other kid-friendly activities. Additional attractions include Springfield businessman Dick Levi’s “Monet of Cars” display, the annual Travel Illinois Expo, vendors, food, drinks and live music from The Hitmen, Tom Irwin and the Motorvators, Rewind, Hipbone Sam and The Neverly Brothers. Admission is free to all spectators. The fee to enter a vehicle for display and judging is $55. More information and a full schedule of the weekend’s events is available online at http://Route66fest.com.

14th Annual International Route 66 Mother Road Festival
September 25-27, 6-10pm Fri, 11am-10pm Sat, 11am-2pm Sun
Downtown Springfield
Free to spectators
$55 to display your vehicle

This article appears in Sep 24-30, 2015.