On Route 66 in Tulsa, there is an art festival known as the Wildflower Art Market Autumn Celebration, Sept. 30. The annual exhibition offers a cultural experience for Tulsans and others visiting this iconic road in America. There are various shops set up in the area of the Meadow Gold District, including art vendors displaying beautiful pieces of visual works and jewelry for intriguing spectators to the art show.  

The various shops on Route 66, who will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2026, provide a quintessential engagement of the nation’s history capture on its most popularized road. The road has been made famous in American culture. It is a road that has appeared in “books, songs, music, magazines, movies, and television shows,” according to the Federal Highway Administration of the U. S. Department of Transportation. 

Beth Tankard, a clerk at Buck Atoms, a store on historic Route 66, said how the shop delivers a positive impact on Tulsa and its local citizens. “I mean, a big one is just being a tourism driver. A lot of people, not even in the United States and the state, but people all over the world. Especially in the summertime, this guest book is filled with people from everywhere you can think of. So that is a huge one, and it is also just a really great source of community pride and kind of a symbol for everyone to rally around. We take a lot of pride in Tulsa in being the capital of Route 66.”  

The Meadow Gold sign was set to be taken down in 2004, but the Tulsa Foundation for Architecture saved the sign from being demolished by restoring it with a grant of $15,000 from the National Park Service. The proponents said that the sign was not just a piece of architecture in Tulsa, but an esteemed piece of art that brings the citizens of Tulsa and elsewhere together. 

An artist at the show, MaKayla Bailey, says on how the art show has helped to introduce her works of art to the community, “It has really helped a lot. I have been trying to find my sales group, so this has helped a lot. This is my second time doing it. It is a variety.” 

The community can see that Route 66 and the Wildflower Art Market Autumn Celebration have allowed artists and local businesses to expand and express themselves. Shops such as the Decapolis, the Sky Gallery, and the Buck Atoms store have supported and will continue to support locals for a long time to come. The Wildflower Art show truly provides visitors with an artistic and cultural experience that can only be found in the city of Tulsa.