As summer revs up, several Oklahoma communities are shifting their Route 66 100th anniversary parties into high gear.
The yearlong 2026 celebration of the Mother Road is anticipated to be a major tourist draw all along its more than 2,400-mile stretch across eight states, and since Oklahoma boasts the nation’s longest drivable stretch of Route 66, it’s no surprise that the Sooner State’s centennial commemoration is going full throttle.
From Tulsa’s potentially record-setting Route 66 Capital Cruise to the grand opening of the new visitor center at the Blue Whale of Catoosa to Oklahoma City’s Kickin’ It On Route 66, here is a selection of forthcoming Sooner State celebrations of the world’s most famous highway:
Kickin’ It On Route 66: OKC Centennial Celebration
- When: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. May 30.
- Where: Scissortail Park, 415 S Robinson Ave., downtown OKC.
- Information: https://www.kickiniton66.com.
Presented by Visit Oklahoma City, the free, daylong community-wide celebration will feature family-friendly activities throughout Scissortail Park, with the festivities culminating with the Centennial Concert and Neon Nights Drone Show at the Love’s Travel Stops Stage and Great Lawn.
- 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Farmers market
- 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.: Pedal boating and kayaking
- 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.: Sky Rink roller skating
- 4 to 8 p.m.: Oklahoma City Kids Market
- 4 to 10 p.m.: Route 66 Travel Hub
- 6 to 10 p.m.: Centennial Concert and Neon Nights Drone Show
Celebrants are invited to bring their lawn chairs and blankets to the Great Lawn for the concert, to be headlined by Tulsa native and rising Red Dirt star Kaitlin Butts, who inked a deal with Republic Records last fall following the viral success of her song “You Ain’t Gotta Die (to Be Dead to Me).” The show also will include performances by Sooner State “The Voice” standouts OK3 and Bailey Rae and Oklahoma Music Hall of Famers Ricochet…