Oklahoma Lt. Governor Matt Pinnell joined AAA Oklahoma and other state leaders at the Capitol on Wednesday with an announcement that there are only 66 days until the inaugural AAA Route 66 Road Fest in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, where thousands will celebrate the historic highway’s approaching centennial.
“Oklahoma has a lot of history sewn into Route 66,” Pinnell said, “so it is fitting that Oklahoma leads the way into a national celebration of Route 66, launching the countdown to 2026.”
The Road Fest will celebrate the highway’s history this June and kick off a multi-year commemoration leading up to the 2026 centennial to be observed in cities across the country and draw visitors from around the world.
Oklahoma’s nine-day event will be held June 18-19 at the Bennett Event Center at OKC Fairgrounds, then open in Tulsa’s SageNet Center at Expo Square on June 25-26. There will be exhibits, classic cars, family activities, food and live music.
Between the two weekends, the celebration will spill into Oklahoma communities all along the state’s 400-mile stretch of historic highway, where travelers can experience dozens of historic sites, museums, points of interests, shops, restaurants and motels, said AAA Oklahoma Executive Jared Peterson at the announcement event. Tickets to the Road Fest are available at: https://route66roadfest.com.
“As the historic highway’s centennial year approaches, AAA Oklahoma is excited to start the celebration just 66 days from now,” Peterson said. “In addition to the other attractions, there will be an amazing lineup of historical, interactive exhibits that will allow visitors to journey through the decades of innovation, popular culture, and nostalgia as though they are traveling through time on the Mother Road itself.”
The AAA Route 66 Road Fest will be a special occasion because Oklahoma and Route 66 grew up together, Pinnell said at Wednesday’s event, surrounded by Road Fest banners and classic cars.
“From the highway’s small-town tradition to its friendly personality, Oklahoma shares so much of its treasured culture with the road that is admired across the country and around the world,” Pinnell said.