Pack your bags and grab your keys! Route 66 is turning 100 this year, and Tulsans are celebrating its adventures, neon signs, and the nostalgia of The Mother Road.
Route 66 was originally proposed by Cyrus Avery, the state highway commissioner under Gov. Martin Trapp from 1922 through 1926. He sought to create a highway connecting Chicago to Los Angeles that would also run through his hometown, Tulsa, Okla.
On Nov. 11, 1926, the highway was officially authorized to provide 2,448 miles of highway stretching through eight states, including Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. This highway became known as the “Main Street of America” and played a tremendous role in American history.
Throughout the Dust Bowl in the 1930s, Route 66 became a symbol of better things to come, serving as an escape route for Midwesterners traveling to California. Not only did it provide hope, but it became a main route for the military during World War II.
During these times, small businesses came to life, neon signs lit up across the country, and traveling became much easier. The rich history of Route 66 evokes nostalgia for many people who travel on the famous road that led to freedom.
If you have never visited Tulsa, Okla., while traveling Route 66, this year is the best time to do so, as Tulsans have many events planned to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Mother Road. Despite Route 66’s birthday on Nov. 11, Tulsans are celebrating the centennial year-round.
To kick off the celebrations, Tulsans are hoping to break the Guinness World Record for the largest classic car parade on May 30. Just over 3,000 classic cars will be traveling five and a half miles along 11th Street, called the “Route 66 Capital Cruise.”
Additionally, the AAA Route 66 Road Fest will be held June 27-28. This celebration will be held at the Sagenet Center at the Tulsa Expo Square. Throughout this event, there will be interactive exhibits, vintage RVs, and many small-business vendors selling Route 66 memorabilia.
Ken Busby, executive director and CEO of the Route 66 Alliance, a nonprofit organization founded by Michael Wallis, the voice of the Sheriff in Disney Pixar’s movie “Cars,” said, “We will be celebrating the actual 100th birthday of Route 66 on Nov. 11, Veterans’ Day! I’m chairing that effort, and we will have a Route 66-themed Veterans’ Day parade, an afternoon in the Tulsa Arts District, a Tulsa Ballet performance at OKPOP, and a culminating concert with birthday cake at the historic Cain’s Ballroom. Tulsa is going all out to celebrate Route 66!”
Nevertheless, Tulsa will continue to keep Route 66’s memory alive by celebrating and continuously sharing its history. For newer generations to come and learn about Route 66’s rich history, Busby said, “That this road matters – and it’s more relevant today than ever! It’s still a road of dreams and opportunities – and it celebrates the best of America!”
As for Rhys Martin, president of Oklahoma Route 66 Association and “Tulsa People” magazine’s Tulsan of the Year, and who has traveled all 2,488 miles of Route 66 said that what made him fall in love with Route 66 is, “All I knew is that Route 66 is this old highway and it was bypassed, and I’d seen the Pixar movie “Cars”, so I was like okay, what’s out here? I was shocked at how much life there was, and I started meeting these people that had these businesses or restaurants, these characters, and fell in love with the journey, and it became really important to me to communicate to others that this road is still alive and evolving.”
Altogether, Route 66 is still alive and means more to Tulsans today than ever before in the history of the famed highway. The 100th anniversary of The Mother Road shows that it remains significant today.
Small businesses, restaurants, and local artists help to keep the road alive and more than deserve to be celebrated. Martin’s three words to describe Route 66 are “connecter, evolving, and nostalgia.”
Which, in terms, gives a sense of curiosity about what is in store for the future of Route 66. Busby said, as far as the future is concerned, “as the Lt. Governor and I are both fond of saying, as we celebrate the centennial of Route 66 – this is only the beginning! We are using the centennial to launch the next 100 years!”
With that being said, check out all the upcoming Route 66 events, and you will not be disappointed, as there is an event for everyone to enjoy.