Birthplace of Route 66 Festival organizers announce 2023 lineup

 (From the City of Springfield)

Ozarkers will have the chance to share their talent by competing in the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival’s inaugural “Great Route 66 Talent Competition.” The new competition could provide winners a “fast pass” to national television show “America’s Got Talent.”

Leading up to the Aug. 10-12 festival, singers, dancers and anyone at least 18 years old with a talent to share are encouraged to submit videos showcasing their talent to KY3.com be voted on by KY3.com viewers. Finalists will compete live at the festival, Saturday, Aug. 11 at the Park Central Stage.

Birthplace of Route 66 Festival organizers the City of Springfield, Aaron Sachs & Associates, KY3/KSPR/CW, Downtown Springfield Association and West Central Neighborhood Alliance announced the lineup for the 2023 festival in a news conference Tuesday, March 28 at the Shrine Mosque.

The 2023 festival will take place Aug. 10-12 and will kick off at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10 at the Aaron Sachs Stage in Motorcycle Village (Jefferson Avenue and McDaniel Street) with the free Rockin’ the Route 66 Kickoff Concert. The opening act goes on at 6 p.m. and the headliner will take the stage at 8 p.m. The car and motorcycle shows will be Aug. 11 and 12.

Registration links for Friday and Saturday’s car show, the Charity Bike Show and the Gypsy Tour Poker Run to benefit the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association will be live Wednesday at route66festivalsgf.com.

The Mother Roadster Foundation will raffle off a custom-built 1932 Ford Roadster pickup truck. This is the fifth Mother Roadster the foundation has raffled off, with proceeds benefiting Shriners Hospitals for Children. Discovery Center of Springfield is raffling off a 1969 Cadillac Fleetwood at the festival. Links to purchase tickets for both raffles are available at route66festivalsgf.com. Tickets are $20 each or six for $100.

A full lineup of free entertainment is planned, including the Friday parade starting at 6 p.m. at Grant Avenue and College Street traveling east through Park Central Square to St. Louis Street and dispersing at National Avenue. Join us for a pre-parade party at the Birthplace of Route 66 Roadside Park at 4:30 p.m.

The Women’s World Expo at the Shrine will be back this year, along with the Authors, Artists, Collectors & Associations expo at The Old Glass Place. Make sure to stop by History Museum on the Square and tour the Birthplace of Route 66 Gallery.

Concerts begin Friday evening at the Aaron Sachs Motorcycle Village Stage at 7 p.m. with Machine Gun Symphony and Sixwire.

New this year will be the Great Route 66 Talent Competition at the Chevy Dealers of the Ozarks/KY3 Stage at Park Central Square on Saturday afternoon, and a cornhole tournament at the Expo Center in partnership with Springfield Cornhole.

Saturday’s concerts kick off at 1:15 p.m. at the Aaron Sachs Stage in Motorcycle Village with Nathan Bryce and the Loaded Dice and continue through the day with Red Light Runner, Damsel, Dirty Saints and closing with Sixwire taking the stage at 9 p.m.

Food and merchandise vendors interested in having a presence at the festival should email masterfuleventsmo@gmail.com.