Texas Route 66 Festival | 2024

Texas RouTe 66 FesTival

The inaugural 2023 Route 66 Festival was a big success, but this year’s event features even more fun, with 10 new events on the calendar, including an update to the Hodgetown Route 66 Night, which got rained out last year. At the ballpark on June 7 and 8, festival goers will enjoy a drone show—the first in Amarillo history—for back-to-back nights following the games.

Other updates include more classic cars and parade floats at the Coors Cowboy Club Downtown Cattle Drive & Parade, which will extend the parade time. Also, on the TX 66 Bus Tours (east and west), attendees will receive a Coin Cruise Album, with purchase, to start collecting TX 66 coins. Lunch is also provided with ticket purchase.

The TX 66 Festival Finale, presented by Amarillo National Bank, also brings a variety of new activities and events on Saturday, June 15, in Amarillo’s Route 66 Historic District. A few highlights:

• Entry gates on the west and east ends of Sixth Ave.

• Cooling stations with misting and free water, plus a pet relief station.

Friday, May 31

Official Pre-Party Featuring Tracy Byrd and special guests Chad Miller & The Good Fortune. (Gates open at 6 p.m., showtime 8 p.m.; Starlight Ranch Event Center, 1415 Sunrise Drive)

Thursday, June 6

Coors Ranch Rodeo Kick-Off (Time TBA; Amarillo Tri-State Fairgrounds, 3301 SE 10th Ave.)

First Thursday Art Walk (4-7 p.m.; Amarillo Route 66 Historic District, Sixth Avenue between Georgia and Western Streets)

Music in the Gardens (6-9 p.m.; Amarillo Botanical Gardens, 1400 Streit Drive)

Night Under the Neon Live music from Texas Crossroads Band, diner-style food, music and fun for the whole family. (6:30 p.m.; U-Drop Inn Cafe, 105 E. 12th St., Shamrock)

Friday, June 7

Disco in the Desert Immerse yourself in a Route 66-themed celebration with live music, a Corvette car show, and the unveiling of a new mural. The celebrations will last late, so don’t overlook the special $66 rate at the Cactus

• Food truck park moved closer to the main stage, including tables, chairs and shading.

• More centralized, expanded main stage performances including festival host Guy Bell, Chill Son, Giddy Up Go and Elvis Impersonators. Shows include a Pinup Pageant hosted by Annalee Bell, Corn Dog Eating Contest sponsored by Sonic, and Car Show Awards.

• Expanded car show along Sixth from Belleview to just east of Maryland St.

• Expanded kids area and activities sponsored by Amarillo Parks & Recreation.

See the full schedule at visitamarillo.com/events/route-66.

Cove Inn & Suites. (11 a.m.-1 a.m.; Cactus Cove Inn & Suites and The Western Horseman Club, 2501 I-40 East)

Celebrity Fast-Draw Shoot Out (3 p.m.; Rex Baxter Building on the Tri-State Fairgrounds, 3301 SE 10th Ave.)

Coors Ranch Rodeo (7 p.m.; Amarillo National Center on the Tri-State Fairgrounds, 3301 SE 10th Ave.)

Star Watch Party Hosted by the Amarillo Astronomy Club, this event includes food trucks, live music and celestial wonders; family- and pet-friendly, weather permitting. (5 p.m.-12 a.m.; Jericho on 66, 5989 State Hwy 70)

Embassy Suites Route 66 Tailgate Party Stop by The Embassy before the ballgame for drinks and snacks, cornhole, live music and prizes. (5-7 p.m.; The Embassy Suites Downtown Amarillo, 550 S. Buchanan St.)

Hodgetown Route 66 Night & Drone Show Hodgetown will be lit up by drones in two back-to-back nights. (7 p.m.; Hodgetown Stadium, 715 S. Buchanan St.)

Friday, June 8

CCC Downtown Cattle Drive & Parade (10 a.m.; 11th Avenue and Polk Street to the Tri-State Fairgrounds)

Dream Maker Station Presents Route 66 Motor Tour Car Show 2024 (12-4 p.m.; Midpoint Cafe, 305 Historic Rt. 66, Adrian)

Coors Ranch Rodeo Brats & Brews (5 p.m.; Amarillo National Center on the Tri-State Fairgrounds, 3301 SE 10th Ave.)

Coors Ranch Rodeo (7 p.m.; Amarillo National Center on the Tri-State Fairgrounds, 3301 SE 10th Ave.) Coors Ranch Rodeo Dance will follow at 10 p.m.

Hodgetown Route 66 Night & Drone Show: (7 p.m.; Hodgetown Stadium, 715 S. Buchanan St.)

Sunday, June 9

LowRider Cruise (6-7:30 p.m. ; Amarillo Boulevard)

Monday, June 10

Amarillo Film Society Screening (Doors open at 6 p.m.; film starts at 7 p.m; Goldenlight Cantina, 2906 SW Sixth Ave.)

Tuesday, June 11

June Jazz ( 7-9 p.m.; Amarillo College Clock Tower, West 24th Ave.)

Wednesday, June 12

TX 66 East Bus Tour (8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m.; starts at 1000 S. Polk St.; tickets required)

High Noon on the Square (12-1 p.m.; Potter County Courthouse Lawn, 501 S. Fillmore St.)

Cactus Rose Taphouse Soiree (5-8 p.m.; Cactus Rose Taphouse, 218 Main St., McLean)

Thursday, June 13

TX 66 West Bus Tour (8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; starts at 1000 S. Polk St.; tickets required)

Texas Route 66 Visitor Center Celebration (6-8 p.m.; Texas Route 66 Visitor Center, 1900 SW Sixth Ave.)

Friday, June 14

The Shops on the Square: The Shops at Wolflin Square are celebrating 60 years with a Route 66-themed celebration, live music, food trucks, marching bands and sales at participating stores. (10 a.m.- 5 p.m.; The Shops at Wolflin Square, 1932 Civic Circle)

Braxton Keith—Slug Bug Ranch Christening (TBA; concerts start at 7 p.m.; Starlight Ranch Event Center, 1415 Sunrise Drive)

Saturday, June 15

TX 66 Festival Finale Presented by Amarillo National Bank (11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Amarillo Route 66 Historic District, Sixth Avenue between Georgia and Western Streets)

Sign up to receive festival updates at visitamarillo.com/events/route-66

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June 8 – Route 66 Motor Tour Car Show in Adrian

July 4 – Independence Day Flag Celebration and Fireworks show in Adrian

July 19-20 – Comancheros Community-Wide Garage Sales and Christmas in July

July 25 – First Responders Celebration

Aug. 10 – Round-Up and Water Color Run

Sept. 9, 16 & 23 – Movie Night at the Museum

Oct. 12 – Annual Boys Ranch Rodeo

Nov. 4 – Shop Small/Small Business Saturday

Dec. 9 – Oldham County Community Christmas

While lurking around Old 66, don’t forget to creep into Aunt EEk’s.

Mention this ad for 15% off your purchase!

2900 SW 6th Ave. 806.420.0021 aunteeksonline.com

The City of Shamrock and the Wheeler County Historical Commission welcome all Route 66 travelers!

Texas 66 Coin CruiseAlbum

The Amarillo CVB has developed the Texas 66 Coin Cruise Album Program in honor of the upcoming centennial. Route 66 enthusiasts can embark on an extraordinary journey through legendary Route 66 with the Texas 66 Coin Cruise Album. As they traverse the iconic East and West stretches of the highway through the Texas Panhandle, they’ll collect nine uniquely crafted coins at select destinations. They’ll explore hidden gems, embrace the spirit of adventure, and unlock the stories of each coin— making this thrilling experience an unforgettable ode to the spirit of the open road.

The Coin Cruise Album artwork was designed by a local Amarillo artist, Gabrielle Bivins of Fresh Press Designs, to look like a classic vinyl record. It includes, actually, a genuine vinyl record with coin slots punched into it. Collectors can place the nine unique coins into its corresponding slot as they obtain them. Along with the record, the package includes QR codes for self-guided tours, a curated playlist, festival information, and a custom map to guide visitors along Texas Route 66.

The Texas 66 Coin Cruise Album is available for purchase online ($24.99) or at any of the selected, marked album stops in the following locations:

• U-Drop Inn & Western Motel (Shamrock)

• McLean/Alanreed Museum, Devil’s Rope Museum, Cactus Inn (McLean/Alanreed)

• Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ Ministries (Groom)

• The Big Texan (Amarillo)

• Route 66 Association/From 6th Collective (Amarillo)

• Milburn-Price Museum & Mama Jo’s Pies (Magnolia Station/Vega)

• Midpoint Cafe (Midpoint)

• Jericho Ghost Town (Jericho)

Learn more at visitamarillo.com/things-to-do/ route-66/coin-cruise-album.

Texas RouTe 66 FesTival

The Barfield, Autograph Collection

Housed in the historic Barfield Building in Downtown Amarillo, where Polk Street meets the iconic Route 66, The Barfield is the full-service boutique hotel West Texas deserves. Part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, the historic hotel boasts 112 stylish guest rooms, an Italian Steakhouse, and hidden speakeasy.

For almost 100 years, the Barfield Building has stood witness to the ebb and flow of travelers along Route 66 as it became a true symbol of adventure, freedom and the pursuit of the American Dream. Working closely with the Texas Historical Commission, The Barfield embraced much of the building’s historic character and adorned its walls with interior design that reflects the cattle-ranching culture of the Texas Panhandle.

With a storied past and some of this community’s best-kept secrets hidden within its walls, The Barfield transformed Amarillo into a world-class destination while once again pushing the limits of progress. As the centennial year of the Historic Route 66 draws near, we encourage you to stop in at The Barfield to reminisce on the history of the pioneers that paved the way for generations of adventurers.

Texas RouTe 66 FesTival

BILL AND LINDA PRATT OPENED HIS PRIVATE CAR COLLECTION TO THE PUBLIC IN 2015.

BILL’S LOVE FOR CLASSIC CARS BEGAN WHEN WORKING ON THIS 1931 FORD MODEL A VICTORIA AT THE AGE OF 14. IT WAS HIS FIRST HIGH SCHOOL CAR.

THE FRONT SHOWROOM FEATURES OLDER MODEL VEHICLES LIKE A 1928 “PADDY WAGON,” CARS FROM THROUGHOUT THE 1930S, AND EVEN A FULLY-RESTORED 1945 WILLYS U.S. ARMY JEEP COMPLETE WITH MACHINE GUN!

BILL’S SCCA FORMULA ATLANTIC RACE CAR IS ON DISPLAY WITH A VIDEO FROM HIS VERY SUCCESSFUL RACING DAYS.

AN ORIGINAL LATE 1940S WURLITZER

JUKE BOX SPINS

OLD-TIME ROCK ’N ROLL AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF THE EXPANSIVE PRATT MEMORIAL MURAL.

Bill’s Backyard Classics

Inventor Bill Pratt is known as “The Thomas Edison of the Beef Industry” for his transformative computerized and machinery management systems for which he was awarded 88 U.S. and foreign patents. His name ranks among the great Trailblazers of the West. And he had a passion for classic cars.

Bill’s love for classic cars began as a boy of 14 in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, when he bought his first car, an old, beat-up 1931 Ford Model A Victoria. He worked on it for two years in his backyard, making it his first high school car. When he sold his company Micro Beef Technologies in 2011, Bill began collecting cars. But not just any old cars. He found cars with a connection to his and his wife Linda’s lives—a 1931 Ford Model A Victoria of his youth; a black ’57 Chevy, like the one he was driving when he first saw his future wife, Linda, crossing the street with a bag of groceries; a white ’61 Pontiac like he had when they first married (complete with their ironing board between the seats); and Linda’s first car, a maroon ’67 Chevy. Bill enjoyed surprising Linda with these cars from their shared past. Then, Bill began collecting “pairs” of vehicles, meaning a stock version of a car paired with a street rod version. At 178 cars, Linda finally took the checkbook away from him! Undeterred, he slipped one last purchase under her nose for a total of 179. They opened his collection to the public in 2015.

THE SECOND SHOWROOM FEATURES MORE “MODERN” CARS MOSTLY FROM THE 1940S TO THE 1970S.

Today, the museum features more than 100 autos from all over North America in two showrooms. The bulk of the collection centers on cars from the heyday of Route 66, dating from the 1930s to the 1970s. Visitors come into Bill’s “backyard,” surrounded by residential yard fencing decorated with smiley faces reminiscent of the backyard where he got his first car running as a teenager. Classic rock ‘n’ roll plays from a 1949 Wurlitzer jukebox. Bill wished for generations of visitors’ families to share happy memories evoked by the cars and their eras.

Route 66 is vital to the success of the museum, starting with Bill’s memories traveling it from Oklahoma to California as a boy in the 1940s and ’50s, to the interests of museum visitors today. Eighty-seven percent of the museum’s traffic comes from outof-towners “doing Route 66,” with 12 percent coming from other countries across six continents. The museum gives travelers a unique kind of Texas experience. It’s becoming known as “The Real Cadillac Ranch” and “the best-kept secret in Amarillo.”

Amarillo is a great place not only for a Route 66-oriented classic car museum, but also a great place to live and work. Good people and their kindness and work ethic are at the heart of it. Bill always said, “There’s something in the environment here that makes people want to work.” It’s Texas, family, roots, the beauty of the plains and canyons, and the people. “It’s the people that make the difference.”

Craft Beer in the Heart of the Route 66 Historic District

Locally brewed craft beer has built a big following in Amarillo, and now a new business is bringing it to one of the city’s most popular destinations: Historic Route 66 along Sixth Avenue. The Old Tascosa Brewing Company is named for Tascosa, Texas—one of the oldest settlements in the Texas Panhandle and a ghost town on the property of Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch near the Canadian River.

“The Old Tascosa name is steeped in local history and we aim to carry on the West Texas spirit with it,” says Matt Welch, company president and brew master. “We have a back-to-basics mentality. We focus on non-gimmicky, professionally made lagers and ales for our flagship brand that have a wide appeal for both the adventurous craft beer enthusiast and the Bud-in-the-bottle stalwart. We’re for everyone.”

Welch co-owns the brewery and taproom with Larry Mobley, who serves as head brewer. The two have years of experience in the industry, having worked together at a local microbrewery. They have been developing their own brewing techniques and styles of beer for several years. Welch’s career, however, hasn’t always been “micro” in scope. After serving in the United States Air Force, he worked as a brewing supervisor at Anheuser-Busch InBev, which owns global brands including Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois. “My first batch of beer was actually in a thousand-barrel brewhouse, so that’s a bit of an opposite track from what most crafters take,” Welch says. “I learned the ins and outs of brewing from some of the best brew masters in the industry. We’re fortunate to have that experience and we’re proud to bring that expertise to our own facility.”

The brewery is already earning raves for its beers, from hoppy IPAs to a delicious honey blonde, served in a laid-back, family-friendly atmosphere where, Welch says, “everyone feels welcome and at home.” Live music is common here during the evenings, and food trucks frequently park outside the premises to complete the experience.

Apart from the beer itself, Welch adds that the brewery’s Route 66 location will always be one of its major draws. “Some might say Amarillo’s in the middle of nowhere, but really, we’re in the middle of everywhere. We’re situated right along I-40. Millions of people travel to our area, many of them along Route 66, looking for local craft beer to try,” he says. “Amarillo is growing fast, which is why we are so excited to have opened our doors on historic Sixth Street.”

Tascosa is a name attached to Amarillo history, and this Route 66 brewery intends to provide hospitality and products that do justice to that western mindset and culture. “We want to be the beer that’s synonymous with this area,” Welch says, “the one that everyone reaches for and orders, almost by instinct.”

Old Tascosa Brewing Company

MATT WELCH, PRESIDENT AND BREW MASTER LARRY MOBLEY, CO-OWNER AND HEAD BREWER

The Echoes of Myer’s Drumstick

In the heart of Amarillo, where the sun paints the sky in warm hues, there stood an old fried chicken restaurant—a relic of a bygone era. Myer’s Drumstick, its name whispered through the winds of time, held a special place in local history.

From 1948 to 1968, it graced the iconic Route 66, a ribbon of asphalt that wove dreams across the American landscape.

During the heyday of Route 66, Myer’s Drumstick defied the clock. Its neon sign flickered tirelessly, beckoning weary travelers day and night. The aroma of crispy chicken wafted through the air, a siren call to those journeying along this historic roadway. The doors swung open, revealing a haven for wanderers—a place where hunger met nostalgia, and stories unfolded over shared meals.

In fall 2019, a new chapter began. Myer’s Drumstick transformed into the Texas Route 66 Visitor Center. The old building, weathered by time, embraced its new purpose. Visitors stepped inside, their footsteps echoing memories. The walls whispered tales of cross-country adventures, of families huddled around tables, and of the model train that circled the perimeter—an enchanting diversion for hungry patrons. Myer’s Drumstick may no longer sizzle in hot oil, but its legacy endures. It lives on as part of Amarillo’s rich tapestry—a testament to resilience and community. The gallery walls now showcase Route 66 creations—local artists breathing life into forgotten stories. Some items were donated, others inherited—a bridge connecting generations. Family members, honoring their departed loved ones, find solace in sharing memorabilia that once adorned their walls.

Today, the Texas Route 66 Visitor Center welcomes travelers from distant lands. They arrive, passports in hand, drawn by the allure of The Mother Road and the promise of adventure. Eighty percent of those who step through the door are wanderers seeking a piece of history. They hail from countries across the globe, their accents blending with the echoes of Route 66.

And so, as the sun sets over the vast Texas plains, the future unfolds. The Texas Route 66 Visitor Center prepares to expand, its backyard stretching toward horizons unknown, and the sounds of celebrating the 100th anniversary of Route 66 are in the air. The spirit of Myer’s Drumstick lives on—a beacon for those who seek not just a destination, but a journey etched in memory.

May your road be ever winding, and your stories forever told.