Entertainment lineup announced for Birthplace of Route 66 Festival

(From the City of Springfield)

More than 50,000 Route 66 revelers came to downtown Springfield last year for the 7th annual festival celebrating Springfield, Missouri as the Birthplace of Route 66.

Festival organizers Aaron Sachs & Associates, Ozarks on Two Wheels, KY3/KSPR and the City of Springfield hope to top that number in 2018 with an all-free musical act lineup that includes favorite Branson acts on the KY3/KSPR stage in Park Central Square and regional favorites Lyal Strickland, Mark Chapman, Blue Plate Special, Makenna & Brock, Laura Ashley, the Mixtapes, Machine Gun Symphony, Dirty Saints and Dr. Zhivegas, Justice Adams, Papa Green Shoes and The Hurricanes on the Aaron Sachs Stage in Motorcycle Village.

New to the festival this year is the Mother Roadster raffle of a 1932 Ford Roadster benefiting Shriners Hospitals for Children, and an improved registration process through Eventbrite. Online car and motorcycle show registration open at 1 p.m. at route66festivalsgf.com.

“We have some surprises planned for this year's festival that we're pretty excited about,” Sachs said. “There’s such a rich heritage and tradition with Springfield being the Birthplace of Route 66. I can see a day where this festival will draw more than 100,000 people.”

Returning to the festival this year is the Open Road Girl Rally, the Authors, Artists, Collectors & Associations expo at The Old Glass Place, Vendor Village, the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival Parade and the 6.6K Run/3.3K Walk. Motorcycle Village on the east side of the festival footprint will again be in full swing with live music, the Harley-Davidson Demo Truck, live stunt shows, the Gypsy Tour Poker Run and other motorcycle-geared entertainment and vendors.

“We have come a long way with this festival since it began in 2011,” said festival founder David Eslick. “With last year’s 450 cars, 2,900 motorcycles and 53,000 spectators, as well as the Friday night parade that drew 400 plus cars, it has become the largest event in downtown Springfield.”