Wrap up this year's Route 66 festivities right with a day full of activities
The Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) is set to host its upcoming big Saturday festival as part of the ongoing Route 66 celebration, rain or shine.
On Saturday, June 10, the Route 66 festivities will kick off with the Center City's annual Community Market, which runs from 8:30 a.m. until noon at the historic Bivins Home located at 1004 S Polk St.
Beginning at 11 a.m. and continuing until 7 p.m., CVB will host the Amarillo National Bank (ANB) Route 66 Celebration, blocking off the road along the Route 66 Historic District from Georgia Street to Fairmont Street.
The event is set to include live music with a sound stage featuring different performances throughout the event. Live music will also be performed in businesses along the strip, such Golden Light Cafe & Cantina and Smokey Joe's on Route 66. The event will also include a Classic Car Show, featuring celebrity guest judge JD Scott; a Pin Up pageant, featuring celebrity guest judge Annalee Bell; Elvis impersonators; a kids' activity area; a corn dog eating contest; a food truck park; and more.
Along the roadway, more than 60 vendors will also be displaying and selling their goods.
In a separate event from 5 to 7 p.m., the City of Amarillo's Parks and Recreation with host its Summer Free for All at Sam Houston Park, located at 4101 Line Ave. The event, which is "Cars" themed, will have fun for the the whole family including vendors, activities, food trucks and more.
Beginning at 4:45 p.m., buses will also be providing transportation for individuals to travel to and from the Summer Free for All and the ANB Route 66 Celebration. The bus route will also be available to take individuals to and from Grace Church, where additional parking will be available.
According to Hope Stokes, Director of Marketing for the Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Route 66 Celebration will occur on Saturday, no matter the weather.
"The celebration will happen rain or shine. The only thing that could prevent it from happening is torrential weather, like heavy rain or hail, which at this time is not in the forecast. We will, however, be handing out ponchos for people walking in. There will also be opportunities to go inside the local businesses and explore, as well as get away from any possible rain," Stokes said.
In previous announcements, it was stated that a concert would be held at Starlight Ranch following these Saturday festivities, which has since been cancelled.
CVB also stated that the Hodgetown block party that was scheduled previously has been postponed due to the weather and had yet to set an official rescheduled date. In addition, in regard to one of the June 8 planned events, the CVB Route 66 website stated: "We regret to inform you that the highly anticipated Green Book event featuring Candacy Taylor has been postponed to the fall. However, we believe this decision will allow the event to shine on its own and provide an unforgettable experience for everyone involved."
Stokes said that although some events have been canceled due to the weather, many have still had a great turnout including the Coors Cowboy Club Cattle Drive and the East and West Bus tours. Another event tied to the festival and set to take place Friday was the opening of "Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition" at Amarillo Arts on the Sunset.
Stokes said that because this is the first year of the celebration, there is still much more in the years to come, leading up to the Route 66 centennial celebration in 2026.
"We will continue to grow this year after year. We are very happy with the attendance and involvement and are very excited to see everyone come out this Saturday and send off this 10-day festival in a wonderful fashion and celebrate Texas Route 66 festival here in Amarillo," Stokes said.
"This is the inaugural festival, the first one we have ever had," Stokes added of this year's festival, which runs June 1-10. "We are kicking this off in celebration of the Route 66 Centennial celebration in 2026. So, this festival will be held year after year leading up to then, where we plan on having a really big blowout festival and continue the festival afterwards. This is a festival that visitors and locals alike can look to every year — something that we can really own and be proud of, not only in Amarillo but in the entire Panhandle."
To learn more, visit the Amarillo Convention and Visitor Bureau online at https://www.visitamarillo.com/ . For updates on the Route 66 festival events, follow the Amarillo Convention and Visitors Bureau on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Route 66 festivities and with outdoor fun for all
