Nikki Terlesky of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona at the 2024 AAA Route 66 Road Fest in Tulsa, Oklahoma. ©Jim Hinckley’s America

Route 66 Road Fest in Tulsa, Oklahoma is a relatively new event. But it is developing into a major attraction for Route 66 enthusiasts. And it is also a networking opportunity that illustrates the potential economic impact of Route 66 and Route 66 centennial tourism in communities along the highway corridor. The two day event also aptly illustrates why Route 66 is often referenced as America’s longest small town or as a linear community.

The Oklahoma Route 66 Association posted this summary. “The AAA Route 66 Road Fest – billed as the Mother of all Road Fests – delivered as hoped at Tulsa’s SageNet Expo Square, June 22-23. All told, it featured 218 vehicles in the car show, seven decades of Route 66 history, 100 vendors, eight engaging speakers, lots of kid’s activities, a sizable Route 66 community and, very importantly, 10,000 engaged visitors according to AAA Oklahoma’s Vice-President Jared Peterson.”

Networking

With the exception of Illinois and New Mexico, all state Route 66 associations had staffed information booths. Even the Route 66 Association of Japan was represnted. But Route 66 is truly a linear community.

The state of Illinois was represented by an organizer of the annual Miles of Possibility Conference that was available to answer questions about Route 66 in the Land of Lincoln. And New Mexico that recently suffered a promotional setback with the splintering of the Route 66 Association of New Mexico, was promoted at the booth for the California Historic Route 66 Association. People traveling from the west to attend Route 66 Road Fest had gathered visitors guides and other promotional materials for display as well as distribution.

The Oklahoma Route 66 Association hosted a reception the evening before Route 66 Road Fest. The informal gathering was an opportunity for Route 66 association representatives and business owners to discuss development of cooperative marketing partnerships, the Route 66 centennial, and historic district revitalization initiatives.

On Saturday evening, an informal dinner at Route 66 Road Fest provided an opportunity to further discuss initiatives, centennial plans, tourism, marketing, preservation, and funding. In attendance were Shelley Zumwalt, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Secretary of Tourism, city officials from Galena, Kansas as well as Clarmore and Vinita, Oklahoma, and other communities, the executive director of AAA, Ken Busby, Executive Director and CEO of the Route 66 Alliance as well as chair of the Route 66 Commission in Tulsa, Rhys Martin, President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, and other individuals involved with Route 66 tourism, marketing, and preservation.

The Future of Route 66

Organizers and developers of Route 66 Road Fest masterfully created an event that chronicled the history of Route 66 in a manner that was entertaining as well as informative, and that had appeal for a wide demographic. This was accomplished through exhibits that included modern interactive technology, colorful and informative displays, and costumed reenactor’s.

Speakers for the program of presentations on the main stage mirrored the attention to detail that went into exhibit development. They ran the gamut from acclaimed author Michael Wallis, voice of the sheriff in Pixar’s animated film Cars to state highway officials involved with the innovative project to rebuild the historic Canadian River Bridge.

As the entire event was housed indoors, the car show representing more than a century of automotive evolution was limited in size. Still, there were more than 200 cars on display, and there was also an exhibit featuring an array of vintage travel trailers. And the future of Route 66 was on display in the form of electric vehicles and a table staffed by members of Electric Route 66 that had driven to the event in their Tesla from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Route 66

For communities along the Route 66 corridor, tourism and centennial celebrations represnt an unprecedented opportunity for marketing as well as economic development. Events such as Route 66 Road Fest provide the tools and networking needed to fully capitalize on those opportunities.