Should you’ve been watching the weblog, you already know: 2026 is Route 66th’s one centesimal anniversary! To have a good time, loads of locations alongside the best way are planning a set of Route 66 one centesimal anniversary occasions, festivals, and a lot extra to kickoff this historic second. The celebrations formally start on April 30, and now’s the time to begin planning to your Route 66 Centennial journey.
RV journey is, in our opinion, the perfect approach to see the Mom Highway—and never simply because RVs are our ardour. Relating to an extended drive with many stops alongside the best way, RVing means that you can carry every little thing you want for the journey and keep in consolation, with out having to fret about unpacking and repacking your suitcase or adapting to a dozen completely different lodge beds. As a substitute, your private home away from house will merely journey with you to maintain you cozy and energized so you may benefit from the Route 66 centennial festivities!
Route 66 Centennial Occasions and Festivals
With out additional ado, let’s dive into the must-know particulars about these Route 66 occasions and festivals.
Route 66 Centennial Kick-Off Occasion: Springfield, MO
April 30 – Could 2, 2026
Though the highway begins in Chicago and ends in LA, Springfield, MO holds the exalted designation because the “Birthplace of Route 66.” That’s as a result of, on April 30, 2026, town despatched a telegram to federal freeway officers proposing the title that caught: U.S. Route 66.
100 years later, Springfield would be the place to be, with NBC’s TODAY present broadcasting stay on the morning of Thursday, April 30 beginning at 8 a.m. and highlighting the Mom Highway’s historical past. At 4 p.m., there shall be a proper dedication ceremony at Birthplace Plaza (the intersection of Jefferson Avenue and St. Louis Avenue). This marks the precise anniversary, to the hour, of when that fateful telegram was despatched.
All through the weekend, kickoff festivities will proceed with a sculpture dedication, parade, and classic car present. Anticipate stay music, a convivial ambiance, and tons of recent associates — and take into account staying at considered one of these native Springfield, MO RV parks or campgrounds.
Seligman Centennial Celebration: Seligman, AZ
April 30, 2026
The tiny group of Seligman, about midway between Flagstaff and Kingman, is commonly missed — however on April 30, they’ll unveil new monument indicators on the town for the Route 66 Centennial. The knowledge sales space will open at 9 a.m., and the opening ceremony will happen at 10 a.m. at Seligman Centennial Park. Between 11 a.m. and the early afternoon, take pleasure in Route 66 guide signings, DJs, distributors, and meals vehicles, together with a Mom Highway Brewery sales space.
You can too take this chance to meander Seligman’s historic district, that includes facades from the unique Route 66 period — to not point out being near different must-see Arizona locations, together with the Grand Canyon. (Listed below are some close by campgrounds to contemplate within the Flagstaff space.)
Route 66 Enjoyable Run: Seligman, Kingman, Oatman and Topock, AZ
Could 1 – 3, 2026
Don’t fear — this isn’t the type of enjoyable run it is advisable be in form for! Arizona’s Route 66 Enjoyable Run, which is definitely an annual occasion even when it’s not the centennial, is definitely a 140-mile drive that guests from world wide converge in these small communities to take part in. After parading via these historic cities, the weekend is capped off with a enjoyable and scrumptious group barbecue.
The Annual Route 66 Enjoyable Run truly dates all the best way again to 1987, when the Historic Route 66 Affiliation of Arizona. To have a good time the state’s choice to deliver again Route 66 as a historic freeway, the affiliation threw the primary Enjoyable Run the very subsequent 12 months in 1988. Since then, this occasion has been a well known automotive rally and celebration of Americana. Be taught extra and register at this time!
Ash Fork Heritage on Route 66 Day: Ash Fork, AZ
Could 16, 2026
Residence to the Route 66 Historic Museum, Ash Fork, Arizona is just some extra miles west of Seligman the place most of the above-mentioned festivities will happen. Should you hang around till mid-Could (and goodness is aware of there’s lots to discover in Northern Arizona within the meantime), you may take pleasure in a full day of meals, enjoyable, and nostalgia in Ash Fork, together with a ten a.m. parade with traditional vehicles, floats, pedestrians, and at the least just a few people on horseback.
Heritage Day may even characteristic a chili cookoff, a classic fireplace engine show, a craft honest, and stay flagstone demonstrations. (Ash Fork is in any other case often known as the Flagstone Capital of the US). Given its shut proximity to Sedona (and all of the unimaginable pure areas surrounding it), there are many locations to arrange camp, whether or not you’re in search of an expensive, resort-style keep or joyful to tough it within the wilderness.
Williams Route 66 Centennial Automobile Present: Williams, AZ
June 5 & 6, 2026
Route 66 is a highway — which suggests celebrating its birthday is simply as a lot about vehicles as it’s concerning the freeway itself. In Williams, Arizona in early June, benefit from the eleventh annual Williams Historic Route 66 Automobile Present, this time with the extra festive vitality of the centennial behind it.
Because the organizers put it on their web site, “this occasion brings collectively traditional automotive lovers, customized builders, sizzling rod fanatics, veterans, locals, and vacationers from all around the nation for considered one of Northern Arizona’s most anticipated automotive weekends.” Whether or not you’re coming with a classic automotive of your individual or simply need to peruse and benefit from the native music and distributors that may accompany the spectacle, good close by choices for hanging your hat embody The Canyon Motel & RV Park and Grand Canyon RV Glamping.
Flagstaff Route 66 Centennial Celebration: Flagstaff, AZ
June 6, 2026
Free, family-friendly, and filled with historic reenactments, traditional vehicles, and nostalgic touches like sky writing, Flagstaff’s Route 66 Centennial Celebration is just not one to overlook. Together with the festivities that may take over city from 10 a.m. to five p.m. that day, you’ll even be a stone’s throw from a number of the most scenic and sought-after locations in the whole American Southwest, together with Grand Canyon Nationwide Park in addition to Crimson Rock State Park, Slide Rock State Park, and Tonto Pure Bridge State Park. Higher but, many of those state parks additionally double as good campgrounds.
AAA Route 66 Highway Fest: Tulsa, OK
June 27 & 28, 2026
If there’s a corporation that is aware of roads, it’s AAA, and AAA is celebrating Route 66’s one centesimal birthday within the very coronary heart of all of it in Tulsa, Oklahoma this 12 months. Arrange on the Sagenet Heart in Tulsa’s Expo Sq., this weekend-long celebration will embody traditional vehicles, road-trip-oriented distributors good for RVers, recent native meals, family-friendly actions, and extra.
Whilst you’re within the state, take the chance to discover! Oklahoma is house to greater than 400 miles of historic Route 66 roadway. Together with RV parks in and across the city of Tulsa, we additionally advocate close by pure preserves like Keystone State Park that permit RV tenting and a steadiness between city and out of doors adventures.
Kingman Route 66 Fest: Kingman, AZ
October 16 & 17, 2026
Searching for a possibility to discover the Northern Arizona desert in a less-heated season? Whereas most of the Centennial celebrations will happen in Could and June, Kingman Route 66 Fest is scheduled for October, when the climate is milder and the solar casts golden mild alongside the land. The Friday schedule features a traditional automotive present, a DJ with curated Route 66 music, a photobooth and a silent disco (the place everybody shall be dancing to the identical music, however of their headphones, making it look silent from the skin). Saturday will embody most of the similar actions, but additionally a Queen of the Mom Highway pin-up contest.
The close by Enjoyable Zone consists of prepare rides, zip strains, inflatable leaping zones and extra, making this a fantastic occasion for youths and adults alike. Dawn RV Park and Kingman KOA Journey are two nice choices on the town, however this space can also be surrounded by BLM lands the place dispersed tenting is freely out there.
RV Planning Ideas for Route 66 Centennial Occasions
Now that you just’ve obtained the occasions in thoughts, listed below are some fast suggestions that can assist you plan to your journey with the least quantity of friction and essentially the most quantity of enjoyable.
- E book forward. Main Route 66 Centennial occasions are very probably to attract massive crowds, and plenty of are held in very small communities. Reserving your campsites forward of time is vital! Identical to your RVshare rental automobile. (Psst: Wish to see plenty of the Mom Highway? We’ve not too long ago launched one-way RV leases, as properly.)
- Contemplate your route timing. As you may see, many of those occasions happen in April and Could, which provides you loads of time earlier than and after to discover the areas they’re held in, and past. Take a while to create a full-blown Route 66 RV journey itinerary that goes past one occasion!
- Maintain it RV-friendly! Whilst you’re trip-planning, take into account that many components of historic Route 66 are, properly, historic. These previous alignments can embody slim roads and low-clearance bridges, so examine forward of time should you’re driving a big Class A motorcoach or towing an enormous fifth-wheel trailer.
Why Renting an RV from RVshare Is the Greatest Solution to Rejoice
We’ll admit it, we’re a bit of biased. However once you hire an RV from RVshare, you’ll take pleasure in nationwide pickup places close to all the most important Route 66 entry factors, in addition to quite a lot of RV sizes and kinds to suit your journey wants. (On this case, because you’ll probably be driving on historic roads, you would possibly take into account a Class B camper van, for instance—these could be a lot more durable to search out on the big-box rental outfits!)
Get pleasure from all the advantages of RV journey, comparable to flexibility and the chance to remain near celebrations and campgrounds with out each day packing and unpacking, with out the long-term possession obligations of storage and upkeep. Renting an RVshare automobile is the right alternative for a once-in-a-lifetime centennial highway journey expertise, and we’ve obtained your again each step (and mile) alongside the best way.)
Route 66’s one centesimal anniversary in 2026 brings a singular alternative to expertise the Mom Highway’s historical past and festivities in communities from Chicago to Santa Monica. And also you already know that RV journey gives unmatched flexibility and luxury for visiting a number of centennial celebrations alongside the historic freeway—and past. Begin planning your Route 66 RV journey now to attend these once-in-a-century occasions and profit from your journey. The Mom Highway awaits!
