Birthplace of Route 66 Festival organizers Aaron Sachs & Associates, Ozarks on Two Wheels, KY3/KSPR and the City of Springfield announced the lineup for the 2019 festival at a press conference held at the Discovery Center March 7. Car show registration is now open online at route66festivalsgf.com.
The festival, which drew 56,000 last year, features an all-free musical lineup that includes favorite Branson acts on the KY3/KSPR stage in Park Central Square.
Regional favorites
- Lyal Strickland
- Mark Chapman
- Blue Plate Special
- Makenna & Brock
- Laura Ashley
- Rosy Hips
- Machine Gun Symphony
- The Midterms
- Dirty Saints
- Papa Green Shoes
will appear on the Aaron Sachs Stage just south of Jefferson Avenue and Park Central East.
Returning to the festival this year is the Mother Roadster raffle of a 1929 Ford Model A benefiting Shriners Hospitals for Children. Tickets can be purchased online at MotherRoadsterFoundation.com. The winner will be drawn at 5:35 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10 after the car show awards on the Sachs stage.
At the 2018 festival, Heather Booth of Springfield won a 1932 Ford roadster. Last year’s drawing made it possible for the foundation to donate $40,000 to Shriners Hospital. Mother Roadster Foundation board members include Rick Hughlett, Rick’s Automotive; Jack Stinson, Stinson Building Company; Bill Hobbs, Kwik Kar Tire Pros; Kirk Wheeler, Wheeler Work Trucks; Larry Krauck, KOLR-TV/KOZL-TV; Tarry Parrish, Abou Ben Adhem Shrine Temple; and Dennis Hobbs.
KY3/KSPR will celebrate its 66th birthday during the festival, with some special surprises in store, according to festival organizer Tom Mast. Stay tuned to KY3/KSPR for the details as they become available. Vendors interested in participating in this year’s festival should contact Mast at masterfuleventsMO@gmail.com.
Returning to the festival this year is the Authors, Artists, Collectors & Associations expo at The Old Glass Place, Vendor Village, the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival Parade and the 6.6K Run/3.3K Walk. Motorcycle Village on the east side of the festival footprint will again be in full swing with live music, demos, stunt shows, the Gypsy Tour Poker Run and other motorcycle-geared entertainment and vendors.
“There is a lot of energy in downtown Springfield surrounding hospitality and welcoming folks to our city to celebrate our Route 66 heritage,” said Rusty Worley, Downtown Springfield Association executive director. Worley cited several new hotels coming online soon, along with restaurants and breweries along the route.