Missouri Events

RT66 Summerfest - Rolla, MO

Route 66 Summerfest in Rolla, Missouri is a family-friendly, community event that celebrates classic cars, Route 66 history, and the beginning of summer. The festival takes place in downtown Rolla and features a car show, live music, food vendors, craft vendors, kids' activities, and more. 

Cars & Guitars Festival

Make your plans now for the 2025 Kirkwood Route 66 Festival: Cars & Guitars!

The festival returns on Saturday, June 7.

We are geared up for another great festival in Downtown Kirkwood - so we hope to see you there! 

The Birthplace of Route 66 Festival, held annually in Springfield, Missouri, celebrates the city's claim to fame as the place where the iconic Route 66 was officially named. 

The festival features a variety of attractions, including a classic car show, a historic car parade, live music, vendors, and family-friendly activities. 

The event takes place in downtown Springfield, stretching from South Campbell Avenue to the Route 66 Springfield Visitor Center.

America’s Automotive Trust, the Detroit Auto Show, and the National Route 66 Centennial Commission are proud to announce The Drive Home VII: Route 66 – A Century of Adventure, a once-in-a-lifetime cross-country drive celebrating the 100th anniversary of the legendary Route 66.

This commemorative event will begin on January 3, 2026, in Santa Monica, California, and span the full length of Route 66, arriving nine days later in Chicago, Illinois on January 12. The vehicles will then be on display at the world-class Detroit Auto Show beginning on January 14.

The State Historical Society of Missouri will be hitting the road in January 2026 with the installation of our main exhibit, Through the Windshield: Missouri’s Route 66, at the Center for Missouri Studies’ Wenneker Family Corridor Gallery. The exhibit will be on display from January 6, 2026 to November 28, 2026 during all open hours of the Center for Missouri Studies. You can check open hours here, https://shsmo.org/the-center.

An opening reception is scheduled for February 5, 2026 from 4:30pm to 6pm.

Join the national Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series on the second Tuesday of every month where notable authors, historians and advocates come together to share their stories. This webinar series will deepen your understanding and appreciation of the nation’s beloved Mother Road. (11:00 PT/12:00 MT/1:00 CT/2:00 ET)

The Hidden Voices of Route 66

Route 66 is more than nostalgia. Leading Route 66 humanities scholar, Dr. David Dunaway shares first-hand oral histories that reveal overlooked voices and communities along the Mother Road.

Kirkwood Performing Arts Center
Show Me 66: Main Street Trough St. Louis: Directors Cut
2:00pm
This free program features a curated conversation with award-winning documentary film director and Missouri Historical Society historian Andrew Wanko, who will share behind the scenes insights from the making of the documentary and the stories that brought Route to life in St. Louis.

Join the national Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series on the second Tuesday of every month where notable authors, historians and advocates come together to share their stories. This webinar series will deepen your understanding and appreciation of the nation’s beloved Mother Road. (11:00 PT/12:00 MT/1:00 CT/2:00 ET)

February 10: Cy Avery and the Invention of Route 66

How Route 66 came to be, and why Cy Avery mattered.  Author and Route 66 historian Susan Croce Kelly explores the Good Roads movement behind the Mother Road. 

Lebanon Laclede County Route 66 Society presents Lebanon Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series
Hosted by the Lebanon Laclede County Library & Route 66 Museum

Feb 28 - Centennial Social event with entertainment by UKE 66! Various state and local Route 66 historians and leaders will discuss Centennial topics for 2026 and take questions while also being entertained by UKE 66! FREE! 5pm

Various Route 66 dignitaries, speakers, authors, teachers, and guides to celebrate the Centennial of Route 66!
7 events each with various dates and times throughout 2026
Visit www.lebanonroute66.com for more details or find us on Facebook!

Join the national Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series on the second Tuesday of every month where notable authors, historians and advocates come together to share their stories. This webinar series will deepen your understanding and appreciation of the nation’s beloved Mother Road. (11:00 PT/12:00 MT/1:00 CT/2:00 ET)

Women’s Work on Route 66

Cheryl Eichar Jett highlights the work, creativity, and leadership that sustained life and communities along Route 66.