Oklahoma communities preparing major events for Route 66 centennial in 2026

Communities along the Mother Road are planning festivals, concerts and even a world record attempt as the highway turns 100 in 2026.

A milestone for the Mother Road

Route 66 will celebrate its centennial in 2026, and Oklahomans are already gearing up for a year of festivities. The highway, established Nov. 11, 1926, once stretched from Chicago to Los Angeles.

Oklahoma boasts more than 400 drivable miles of the original route—the most of any state.

Local events already on the calendar

The Route 66 Association of Oklahoma and community partners are planning events throughout the year. Scheduled celebrations include:

1. A hangar band dance at the Stafford Air and Space Museum in Weatherford
2. A fiddle contest at the Arcadia Round Barn
3. A music and arts festival in Arcadia
4. A screening of the Disney film “Cars” at the Teepee Drive-In in Sapulpa
5. The annual AAA Route 66 Road Fest in Tulsa

Why Route 66 still matters

“Route 66, when it was established, was just one of many highways with numbers, but it’s become this legendary corridor that means so much to so many people, not just in the United States but internationally,” said Rhys Martin with the Route 66 Association.

Tulsa aims for a world record

Tulsa will host a Route 66 Centennial Cruise on May 30, 2026. Organizers hope to break the world record for the most classic cars through an intersection, which currently stands at about 2,000.

Looking ahead

With celebrations spread across Green Country and beyond, organizers expect visitors from across the country and around the world to participate.

A full list of Route 66 Centennial events is available on the Route 66 Association’s calendar.