Springfield hopes Route 66 Festival can generate more than $1 million after 3-year COVID delay
The state's tourism department is sending Springfield $250,000 so Springfield residents can enjoy the 10th Annual Birthplace of Route 66 Festival — which has been canceled the past two years amid coronavirus concerns.
City council unanimously approved the bill at their Monday meeting to have funds ready to reimburse the city for the Route 66 Festival this week.
Mayor Ken McClure said he was grateful the 10th anniversary festival was finally going ahead after three years of delays and saw it as a symbolic end to the coronavirus' hold over Springfield.
"It's been three years since we've been able to have the Route 66 Festival and so we're excited about what that will bring to our community, back to more like normal times."
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The city had planned to hold the festival last year, but it was canceled a few days before its premiere as southwest Missouri became the nationwide focal point for the COVID-19 delta variant.
City spokeswoman Cora Scott noted the absence of the Route 66 Festival had left Springfield bereft of a needed economic boon for the last two summers.
"The last time we had the festival was 2019 and we had 65,000 people attend and participate. And we're hoping for at least that number and more so this year, our third attempt at the 10th annual."
According to Scott, the 2017 festival provided $1.2 million of direct economic benefit to the city.
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City Manager Jason Gage noted the festival's return had received a shout-out on national television last weekend where it was featured as part of the calendar on "CBS Sunday Morning."
"The three-day festival kicks off Thursday evening at 6:30 p.m. with 'Rockin' the Route' — a kickoff concert street party concert," Gage said.
The Route 66 festival is hosted along the Route 66 Motor Mile. This mile-long stretch is from the Route 66 Springfield Visitor Center at 815 E. St. Louis St., west through Park Central Square to South Campbell Avenue. Parts of the festival will also take place from East McDaniel Street to East Trafficway Street on South Kimbrough Avenue and from East Walnut Street to the square on South Avenue.
Free and paid parking lots are available throughout downtown Springfield. For a full list of downtown parking lots and garages, visit itsalldowntown.com/getting-around/.
Andrew Sullender is the local government reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow him on Twitter @andrewsullender. Email tips and story ideas to asullender@gannett.com.