Welcome, Springfieldites, to the second annual International Route 66 Mother
Road Festival, held on the downtown streets of our fair city Friday through
Sunday. You’ll see hundreds of automobiles from days gone by, roving street
entertainers, live music on five stages, plus food vendors, kids’ activities,
and various exhibits with a Route 66 theme. Tonight at 6 p.m. in the Hilton
Springfield, the National Historic Route 66 Federation presents the John
Steinbeck Awards at a dinner and banquet honoring supporters and preservers
of Route 66. Saturday’s special event at the Prairie Capital Convention Center,
billed as the World’s Largest Sock Hop, features Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of
Famers Danny and the Juniors, the Shirelles, and the Buckinghams. Tickets for
the dancing extravaganza range from $15 to $50; you can purchase yours from
Ticketmaster (217-544-9400), or at the PCCC box office.
Last year, according to festival promoters, more than 35,000 people showed
up from several states and a few foreign countries to check out the hub-bub.
For more information about festival events, call 866-RTE-66IL or visit the Web
site www.route66fest.com.
In addition to a wide array of musical acts and street performers, the fest
also hosts a series of more educational events:
The Prairie Heart Institute Parade of Cars takes off from the Department of Transportation parking lot, 2300 Dirksen, at around 5:45 p.m. Friday and follows portions of Historic Route 66, ending up downtown at 7 p.m.
Michael Wallis, author of the acclaimed book Route 66: The Mother Road, makes a variety of appearances in the Route 66 Authors & Artists Expo on Adams between Fifth and Sixth streets: Saturday at 11 a.m. and 1, 3, and 6 p.m., Sunday at 11 a.m. He’ll also give a talk on “The Romance of the Mother Road” at 4:30 p.m. Saturday on Sixth Street in the alcove of Bank One.
“Songs & Stories of Route 66” will be presented by Chet Nichols Saturday at 11:30 a.m. on Sixth Street in the alcove of Bank One.
Actor Martin Milner appears in a booth on Sixth and Adams at 11:30 a.m. and 3, 5, and 7 p.m. Saturday and at 11 a.m. Sunday. He’ll talk about “The Making of Route 66” on Sixth Street in the alcove of Bank One at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and noon Sunday.
Brooks Beans Regional Route 66 Red Chili & Salsa Cook Off takes place on Adams between Fourth and Fifth from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. A “chili sampling” is at 3 p.m., and awards get handed out at 4:15.
“Stories From Our Summer Road Trip on Route 66” will be offered by Jim Conkle and Guy Randall at 12:30 p.m. on Sixth Street in the alcove of Bank One.
A Route 66 Collectibles Exhibition will be held between 1 and 5 p.m. on Saturday.
“The Ultimate Road Journey: Route 66 and the Magic of Photographing Off the Beaten Path” will be presented by Jane Bernard and Polly Brown on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on Sixth Street in the alcove of Bank One.
“Preserving the Past for the Future” is the title of a talk by author
John Weiss, Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on Sixth Street in the alcove of Bank One.
This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2003.
