'I'm glad it's back': After two-year hiatus, locals happy to show off at Route 66 Festival
As gawking passersby reveled in the assortment of classic automobiles along East St. Louis Street, Stan Mahan and Charles Tennis enjoyed the shade.
The two longtime Springfield residents sat in adjacent folding chairs on Friday afternoon during the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival, each looking proudly on at their respective contributions.
Temperatures exceeded 90 degrees, but the two men and their showcased vehicles, a 1958 Chevy Apache and 1929 Ford Model A, were protected from the sun's rays, courtesy of a lofty downtown building.
Only a few of the dozens of eye-catching cars and trucks — a spectrum of conventional classics to a replica of the 1983 "Back the Future" DeLorean — were as fortunate.
"I wanted to be out here two years ago and show it but the event was canceled," said Mahan, the bearded owner of the turquoise Apache truck.
So did Tennis and hundreds of other motorheads.
"I'm glad to see it's back. I've been coming to these since they started," said Tennis, proud owner of the black Model A.
The 10th annual event, which includes a parade, live music and several other festivities, was canceled the two previous years on account of the coronavirus pandemic.
It returned in earnest Thursday and concludes Saturday. The festival was hosted along the Route 66 Motor Mile, a mile-long stretch from the Route 66 Springfield Visitor Center at 815 E. St. Louis St., west through Park Central Square to South Campbell Avenue.
Downtown vendors appeared busy with the ample foot traffic on Friday. Cars and trucks from around the country were showcased, with patrons often peppering owners with questions about particular models.
Before Mahan put countless hours and more than $30,000 into his shining shortbed truck, it was merely a worn-down, rusty frame with its original V8 engine that sat in his garage for years.
He purchased it in 1989. After turning 65, he began methodically turning the truck into a vehicle that has won awards at classic car shows in recent years.
"I thought 'Hey, you're getting old, you might as well go out there and finish it,'" said Mahan, who was looking forward to driving the truck in the evening's parade.
Some of the truck's admirers inquired about purchasing it, though it was never listed for sale.
"I'm not sure I want to sell it. I'll take a suitcase of money for it," he joked.
Tennis, who is 80, bought his 1929 Ford Model A after finding the relic online a few years ago. He made the trek to Ohio to retrieve the vehicle, and has since made some upgrades.
The original body is restored and it still has its original 392 HEMI engine. Some patrons asked for Tennis to honk its throwback "ahooga!" horn, and he obliged.
"I have every receipt that was done on this thing, all the way down to a 87-cent bolt," Tennis said.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Birthplace of Route 66 Festival returns with music, classic cars
