First things first. Don’t let concerns over crowds or worries over road closures keep you away from the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival, which kicks off tonight and runs through Saturday. You might be surprised by how easy it is to get around with the 70,000 other guests planners are expecting.
“It’s a very long footprint, so, yeah, we have a lot of people that come down, but it’s comfortable,” said Cora Scott, the City of Springfield’s Public Information Officer. “It’s not shoulder-to-shoulder. And since the majority of the road closures are on Route 66 itself, it’s not very wide in terms of the road closures, so you are able to get down there pretty easily.”
Springfield’s massive car show and music festival celebrates the city’s role in the naming of Route 66, which passes through downtown. It brings in guests from across the country, and even around the world, to admire classic cars, listen to live music and eat festival food — and it’s free to attend.
It’s an event that started out as a neighborhood party and has ballooned into a community-wide event. That growth means new elements are added every year. Here’s what’s new at the 2023 edition of the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival.
The Lombardi Trophy will be there
You’ll be able to celebrate the team’s Super Bowl LVII victory as the Kansas City Chiefs Champions Tour rolls through the festival Friday. Fans will have the opportunity to get their picture taken with the Lombardi Trophy and see the “Kingdom Cruiser” bus in Friday night’s parade. There will also be an appearance at the Aaron Sachs Stage.
“There is a group of very passionate citizens who came together shortly after the Super Bowl win — and I was among that group — really interested in bringing the Chiefs to Springfield,” Scott said. “And so, long story short, it ended up the best-case scenario was to get them here during the Route 66 Festival because we couldn’t get them here sooner.”
Want your picture with the trophy? Be at the Springfield Expo Center before the doors open at 3:30 p.m. A rally from 4-6 p.m. will give fans a chance to have their picture taken while enjoying appearances by the Chiefs Cheerleaders, the Rumble drumline, mascot KC Wolf and more.
Kansas City Chiefs Champions Tour public events
- 4-6 p.m. — Rally at Springfield Expo Center
- 6 p.m. — The “Kingdom Cruiser” bus and trophy, accompanied by the cheerleaders, drumline and KC Wolf, will take part in the parade
- 7 p.m. — The cheerleaders and drumline perform at the Aaron Sachs Stage, along with one final appearance by the trophy
Talent show winners get front-of-the-line tickets to audition for America’s Got Talent
Scott has wanted to do a talent show at the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival for years. Her wish is coming true in 2023. You can see 24 finalists perform from 1-3 p.m. on the Shrine Mosque Stage. It, like everything else in the festival, is free to attend.
“There is just a crazy amount of talent in this region,” Scott said. “And thanks to the support of KY3, we’re able to partner with the national television show ‘America’s Got Talent.’ They’ve provided us with two front-of-the-line passes for our top two winners to get a guaranteed spot in front of the judges.”
The Great Route 66 Talent search attracted 80 entries, a number Scott was pleased with for the first year, and a panel of four judges narrowed it down to those 24 finalists. Scott said 10 of them are professional entertainers, while the rest are amateurs. They’ll be evaluated by the same judges Saturday at the Shrine Mosque.
“They’re very very knowledgeable in the areas of performing arts, specifically vocalists, because the vast majority of our entries are vocalists,” Scott said. “It’s going to be fun to see the judges react to the competition and provide some guidance and constructive criticism and then they will ultimately name the top two that will get those golden tickets, if you will.”
There’s even more live music, with the addition of the Rotary Rendevous
Live music has always been a big part of the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival, with stages on Park Central Square and on Jefferson. A third stage has been added this year, thanks to the Rotary Clubs of Springfield.
“They have come together to create an area called Rotary Rendevous at Route 66,” Scott said. “They’ve added a musical stage in that grassy lot next to the Expo Center and they’ll have a lineup of musicians and musical acts there.”
And what a lineup it is. Local favorites Justin Larkin, the Mixtapes, Hometown Tourist and the Shandies are all scheduled to perform at the Rendevous, which is Saturday, Aug. 12, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
“There will be classic cars there, they have some food trucks they’re bringing in and they’re just going to make it a really fun atmosphere to extend the festival footprint a little bit,” Scott said.
Rotary Rendevous music schedule
- 10 a.m. — Justin Larkin
- 11:30 a.m. — The Mixtapes
- 1:30 p.m. — Hometown Tourist
- 3:30 p.m. — The Shandies
Cool off on The Backlot
It’s August, so you know it’s going to be hot in downtown Springfield. A new addition to the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival will give guests a place to cool down and enjoy some local food. It’s called the Backlot and it will be located on Jefferson, between McDaniel and Walnut.
“We are going to put out some tables and chairs, we’ll have a misting station you can walk through and we’ll have fun things for the kids,” Scott said. “We’re encouraging people to come there and, of course, eat at Prairie Pie, or Zayka or Best of Luck Beer Hall. We’re just creating a space that’s shaded between the buildings to have a nice dining area. I think we’ll see a lot of people take advantage of that.”
Take advantage of free shuttles
OK, this one isn’t new. But it is an enhanced service festival organizers are offering: golf cart shuttles that will pick you up from the public parking lots and take you to the festival. It’s free to ride for all, even if you’re just trying to get to your favorite downtown destination.
“It basically goes around the perimeter of the festival,” Scott said. “The festival footprint is a mile long, so I’ve been telling people it’s a good way to come downtown, park in your public parking lots and hop on a shuttle. With the way we’ve got it staged, I think the shuttles are something that will be helpful to everyone and we encourage people who aren’t going to the festival to use the shuttle. It’s free and it will get you to and from.”
Want to go?
What: Birthplace of Route 66 Festival
When: Aug. 10-12
Where: Downtown Springfield
Admission: Free
For more information: Visit the official Birthplace of Route 66 Festival website or follow them on Facebook
Podcast: Hear more from Cora Scott about the background on this event by listening to her recent interview for the “In Our Town” podcast with host Tom Carlson.
