Springfield’s Birthplace of Route 66 Festival celebrates journey previous and current

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – The annual Birthplace of Route 66 Festival is again for an additional 12 months, and with the centennial anniversary across the nook, it’s one you gained’t need to miss.

An estimated 65,000 individuals from Springfield and past will collect in downtown to have fun the historical past of the cross-country roadway that originated within the metropolis.

“Festivals like this and events that bring people together face to face, connecting one another,” stated competition occasion director Cora Scott, “especially from diverse backgrounds, are important to the health of society. We truly believe that society depends on people coming together, despite our differences and having a good time, celebrating what is good in this world. We hear so much about what is bad in this world. These types of events do the opposite.”

The competition started over a decade in the past as a neighborhood automobile present, which developed right into a citywide occasion showcasing what makes Springfield and Route 66 so particular.

You can see each new and classic vehicles, the motorbike village, music on three totally different levels, distributors, and naturally, the parade Friday night time.

It’s a celebration of journey on the finish of the day, and it’s a spot the place you may see the way it developed and the way it nonetheless brings individuals collectively.

“This whole festival celebrates the Americana of the old-fashioned road trip and a new modern era,” Scott stated. “You see a lot of social media influencers getting in vans and talking about van life as they travel across the country. That’s all a part of this as well. It isn’t just specifically about automobile traffic but about that open road and getting out and exploring America.”

There will probably be some street closures through the occasion. Click here to be taught extra about when particular sections will probably be closed.

New in 2025, downtown companies proper within the coronary heart of the route are getting concerned and displaying their love for town.

“When we have these healthy, vibrant businesses downtown,” she stated, “it ripples out in multiple impacts to the rest of the community. Being more involved this year in the festival, I think, will just showcase them even more. We’ve extended that footprint to the south on Walnut, so we have some Walnut businesses that are getting involved. They were outside the footprint last year and said, ‘We wanna be in the footprint because 65,000 people is coming to this, and we want to connect with them.’”

The two-day competition begins at midday on Friday, August 8, and goes till 11 p.m. It reopens at 8 a.m. on Saturday.

If you wish to volunteer for the competition, you may join on Friday earlier than it begins. Click here for particulars.

To report a correction or typo, please e-mail digitalnews@ky3.com. Please embody the article data within the topic line of the e-mail.

Copyright 2025 KY3. All rights reserved.