New Route 66 Road Fest will celebrate the Mother Road in OKC and Tulsa - what to know

Brandy McDonnell, Oklahoman
·4 min read

From live music fans and classic car enthusiasts to history buffs and family-fun fanatics, a new celebration of Route 66 is offering not one but two opportunities for Oklahomans to get their kicks.

Travelers from across the country — and even around the world — are expected to make the trip to Oklahoma City and Tulsa this month for the AAA Route 66 Road Fest, which will launch a five-year countdown to the 2026 centennial celebration of U.S. Highway 66.

Oklahoma is a fitting place to kick off the long, scenic route for the Mother Road’s centennial, since it's home to the country's longest drivable stretch of Route 66. First established in 1926, U.S. 66 became significant as the nation’s first all-weather highway linking Chicago to Los Angeles.

More than 400 miles of America's most iconic highway cuts through the Sooner State, with 60-plus attractions marking the way, from familiar favorites like the Catoosa Blue Whale and the Arcadia Round Barn to oddities like the Ed Galloway Totem Pole Park in Chelsea and the One Room Jail in Texola.

Travelers from across the country — and even around the world — are expected to make the trip to Oklahoma City and Tulsa this month for the AAA Route 66 Road Fest, which will launch a five-year countdown to the 2026 centennial celebration of U.S. Highway 66. Graphic by Todd Pendleton, The Oklahoman, Getty Images
Travelers from across the country — and even around the world — are expected to make the trip to Oklahoma City and Tulsa this month for the AAA Route 66 Road Fest, which will launch a five-year countdown to the 2026 centennial celebration of U.S. Highway 66. Graphic by Todd Pendleton, The Oklahoman, Getty Images

The Route 66 Road Fest will zip into Oklahoma City June 18-19 at the Bennett Event Center at OKC Fairgrounds and make its final stop in Tulsa June 25-26 at SageNet Center at Expo Square. Festival hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.

Named the flagship event for the country's U.S. 66 centennial by The Road Ahead Partnership — an effort to revitalize and sustain the Mother Road as a national icon and international destination — here's what you need to know about the inaugural Route 66 Road Fest:

Jason Boland & the Stragglers will release their new concept album "The Light Saw Me" Dec. 3 via Thirty Tigers.
Jason Boland & the Stragglers will release their new concept album "The Light Saw Me" Dec. 3 via Thirty Tigers.

Who will be performing at the OKC Road Fest?

The musical lineup for the OKC festival will include local, regional and national favorites, including, Jason Boland & The Stragglers, Red Dirt Rangers, Rusty Dusty, Charlie Redd & Luna Voodoo and Wise Guys on June 18.

Performers on June 19 will include Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights, Alaska & Madi, Tulsa Playboys and Mary Cogan.

Ben Han performs with the Red Dirt Rangers during the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Okemah, Okla., Thursday, July 12, 2018.
Ben Han performs with the Red Dirt Rangers during the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Okemah, Okla., Thursday, July 12, 2018.

Who will be playing the Tulsa Route 66 celebration?

On June 25 in Tulsa, live music will be made by Better Than Ezra, Cannons, Rusty Dusty, The Ventures, Weston Horn, Charlie Redd & The Full Flava Kings and Midlife Crisis.

The June 26 lineup will include Son Volt, Tulsa Playboys, Red Dirt Rangers, Grady Nichols and Zodiac.

What are the rules for the Road Fest car shows?

Given Route 66's enduring popularity with drivers — enshrined in movies, music and television shows — it's only natural that a Classic Car Show is part of both the OKC and Tulsa editions of the Route 66 Road Fest.

Car clubs from across the country will be represented at the shows, which will spotlight the types of vehicles that cruised Route 66 in its prime. The juried car shows will feature 14 classes of cars dating from 1926 to 1986, and the top three in each class will receive awards. One automobile will be named Best in Show.

Plus, Cars & Coffee will supply a chance for vintage car owners to gather at either AAA Route 66 Road Fest and mingle with fellow auto enthusiasts.

What activities will be offered at Route 66 Road Fest?

Both the OKC and Tulsa stops for the Route 66 Road Fest will boast activity areas where children, adults and families can get their kicks.

Attractions will include pinewood derby races, a Route 66-theme miniature golf course, virtual reality arena, indoor drive-in theater, vintage and modern RV display, interactive art space and robotics and drones zone.

In what's believed to be a first in the state, attendees will be able to ride on a self-driving shuttle from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 5 p.m. each day of the event.

"The Future of Mobility" exhibit will showcase Navya Autonom autonomous shuttles, from the French company that operates 35 driverless vehicles on college, medical, entertainment and workplace campuses across North America and has dispatched more than driverless shuttles to 25 countries.

Plus, Oklahoma State University’s prototype “carcopter” and drones, which can deliver goods via aerial transportation, will be featured at the fest.

A Route 66 marker is seen in Arcadia, Okla., Friday, Dec. 3, 2021.
A Route 66 marker is seen in Arcadia, Okla., Friday, Dec. 3, 2021.

How will the Road Fest pay tribute to Route 66's history?

Fest attendees can explore the history of Route 66 through the decades in "The Journey," a 14,000-square-foot exhibit exploring the Mother Road through popular culture, innovation and nostalgia.

"The Journey" is designed by Tulsan “William the Artist” Franklin, a third-generation self-taught artist, entrepreneur and community activist. Franklin is known as the proprietor of Tulsa's Decopalis downtown store and visitors center as well as the painter of the five large ceiling murals at the Winstar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville

How much do Route 66 Road Fest tickets cost and how to get them?

All-inclusive admission is $20 for adults 18 and older, $17 for military members and seniors 55 and older, $10 for teens ages 12 to 17 and $5 for children 5 to 11. Children 4 and younger are admitted free.

For tickets and information, go to Route66RoadFest.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: New Route 66 Road Fest will celebrate the Mother Road in OKC and Tulsa