27th Annual Edwardsville Route 66 Celebration Set for Saturday, June 7, in City Park

EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Route 66 Festival is set to bring a full day and night of fun events and activities to City Park in downtown Edwardsville this Saturday, June 7, 2025. This marks the 27th year for the City’s annual ode to the Mother Road, which will celebrate its 100th birthday in 2026.

Visitors can take in the sights and delights, including food, live music, a Roadside Market, vintage vehicles and a car cruise, bounce houses, trolley tours and more, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday in and around City Park, 101 S. Buchanan Street.

“Route 66 is a fun and fascinating part of Edwardsville’s history, and this festival brings it alive in such a vibrant way,” Mayor Art Risavy said. “We look forward to the activities, the energy and the visitors every summer.”

The Route 66 Festival is hosted by Edwardsville’s Parks and Recreation Department as a nostalgic nod to Route 66, which opened in 1926, spanning 2,400 miles between Chicago and Santa Monica, California (and going through Edwardsville for several decades). Highlights of this year’s festival include a Taste of 66 Experience Tent, featuring local restaurants and food providers recreating classic foods from Edwardsville’s Route 66-era eateries. Trolley tours will highlight key City sites from that era; a classic car show and expanded cruise will put vintage vehicles in the spotlight; a kid zone and full slate of bands will offer entertainment for all ages; and the Roadside Market will feature fun finds. Historic exhibits will be on display and authors who have explored and even biked Route 66 also will be on site. A 3 p.m. author talk will feature a couple who biked the entirety of Route 66. That discussion is set for the Edwardsville Public Library (on the festival grounds).

Parking is available throughout the area, and extra bicycle parking will be provided on the festival grounds from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Full festival details are available at: www.edwardsvilleroute66.com.

Gear up for additional Route 66 fun a day early – on Friday, June 6, when the West End Service Station, 620 St. Louis Street, celebrates its second birthday. This site served locals and highway travelers alike during its era in Edwardsville. It reopened in June 2023 as the City’s free Route 66 visitor center, thanks to a joint effort between the City and Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau, which staffs the station. The celebration runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m, with free cupcakes and refreshments and fun photo opportunities. Ongoing exhibits and events highlight Route 66 and local history. Check out the station’s calendar and history at: www.cityofedwardsville.com/westend.

On Friday night, June 6, the Edwardsville Parks and Recreation Department will once again offer a free showing of the Route 66-inspired animated flick “Cars” at Leclaire Park, 900 Hale Avenue. Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair and snacks to enjoy the movie.

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