From Friday, September 23, through Sunday, September 25, the 21st annual International Route 66 Festival comes to Historic Downtown Springfield, Illinois, on 117 S. Seventh Street. Presented by RECON TECHS, a one-stop vehicle-reconditioning center, enjoy the cars, music, and nostalgia that Route 66 has brought to Springfield for generations. Greg “Coop” and Sue Cooper, along with operations head Shane “Shaner” McDermith, manage the show and keep it local, focused on a community feel, which is a top priority for 2022.
Up to 2000 classic cars will cruise downtown Springfield on Friday night, all proceeds benefiting the Crimestoppers. The cruise salutes local veterans as the 2022 Grand Marshals in the Hail to the Heroes segment of the cruise. The Neville Brothers perform Friday night at the Isringhausen Imports Stage. On Saturday, visitors will not want to miss the Miss Mother Road pageant sponsored by Springfield Vintage, also on the Isringhausen Stage. RECON TECHS of Springfield presents the Ultimate Smoky & the Bandit tribute band all weekend. Visitors can meet and greet actress Caye Barnett, Snowman’s daughter from the movie. Many more attractions, exhibits, and music are happening the entire weekend.
The registration hours for Friday, September 23, are from 11 AM to 8 PM. The cruise line-up begins at 3 PM, and the cruise into Downtown starts at 6 PM, with the show hours from 6 PM to 10 PM. Registration hours for Saturday, September 24, are from 8 AM to noon, while the show hours run from 9 AM to 10 PM. On Sunday, September 25, the show hours are from 9 AM to 2 PM, and the awards ceremony is at noon. For more information, call Coop at 217-553-5271 or visit Route66Fest.com.