One mother of a party finally concludes in the next couple of weeks, as the Texas Route 66 Festival wraps up the centennial celebration of the Mother Road with activities stretching from Thursday through June 13.
I spoke with Kashion Smith, executive director of Visit Amarillo, which is coordinating the festival, to get a sneak preview of all the fun. (This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.)
Chip Chandler: As we’re talking, this festival is a couple of days away from kicking off officially, but it’s been years in the making. So how are you feeling right now at seeing all of this finally coming together and getting ready to explode?
Kashion Smith: It’s been a little bit of a roller coaster. There’s still so much to execute, but then we’re also still seeing a lot of what we’ve already executed come to fruition. And we’re also realizing we still have years’ worth of work to do, which makes my heart happy. We’ve really set things for the next 100 years.
CC: How do you think Amarillo is going to ultimately benefit from this focus on the centennial?
KS: Honestly, I think this is one of the best things for tourism that has ever happened to us. When we’re talking to the world, to everybody outside of Amarillo, we’ve always done a dance between which story are we telling. Are we Western today or are we Route 66? And so through this exercise over the last few years, we have really found a good comfort in that we are a Western Route 66 town. It was a gift that we didn’t expect to come out of this, that we would just find that dance between the two stories and realize both are our history, both make us great, and they complement each other very well.
CC: Why do you think it was that way, that there had to be a choice between we’re a Western or we’re a Route 66 city?
KS: When they decommissioned the road, it’s not like it was automatically a tourism thing. That came through efforts in Arizona and then legislation. And then it was quite a few years later that we realized, oh wait, this is still a special thing and it’s still bringing people to us.
CC: Besides that, what have you personally learned about the magic of the highway over the course of all this?
KS: Oh, there’s so many things. I think I’ve learned to appreciate the smaller highlights. That’s part of why Route 66 is such an icon. You can just do those small stops, at a slow pace, and meet different personalities. Maybe it’s my age, but I’m getting to a place where I find a lot of joy in that.
CC: Have you been able to come up with an answer as to why Route 66 has such a hold on the imagination?
KS: You know, domestically, we do not appreciate Route 66 the way that international people do. We don’t have generations of people coming online as adults right now whose grandparents or parents traveled Route 66. We’ve lost that nostalgia because it’s not something you experienced as a child or even that your parents talked about when you were a child. We’ve talked a lot about nostalgia and creating the memories that make it that generational story again. But for internationals, it is the wildness and the freedom of being American. That you can get in the car or on a motorcycle, however you want to, and just go and just stop wherever you want to and eat all the different foods, and experience all the different cultures.
CC: What are the hidden gems of the next 10 days that folks should watch out for?
KS: I was hoping you would ask me, because we do a lot of talking about the big events. For me, one of the biggest things that we do is the Lowrider Cruise on the Boulevard (6 p.m. Sunday at 600 W. Amarillo Blvd.). People from the neighborhood come out, artists and makers, vendors and some food trucks. I think this year is going to be really big.
For the full scope of activities, visit TexasRoute66Festival.com.
This week’s other can’t-miss options:
Starlight Theater with Jackie Haney & The Geezers Gone Wild and Arieon Keller: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday; Sam Houston Park, 4101 Line Ave.; free; 806-378-3036
Amarillo Sod Poodles vs. Tulsa Drillers: 7:05 p.m. Tuesday, continues through Sunday; Hodgetown, 715 S. Buchanan St.; ticket prices vary; 806-803-9547
Jim Laughlin June Jazz Series featuring The Martinis: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; after party at 9 p.m.; Amarillo College Experimental Theatre Porch; free; 806-371-5340
High Noon on the Square with Ed Montana: 11:45 a.m. Wednesday; 501 S. Fillmore St.; lunch $12; 806-372-6744
Chain Gang with Knuckle Sandwich, Berzerk and Twelve 2 Six: 7 p.m. Wednesday; Atomic Yellow, 3701 Plains Blvd.; tickets $20; atomicyellowict@gmail.com
Music at Wellington Square Courtyard featuring WT Faculty Jazz: 7 p.m. Wednesday; 1619 S. Kentucky St.; $15 cash or Venmo at the door; kids ages 10 and younger free; 806-584-9571
Wibby Wednesday with Piles of Potential: 7 p.m. Wednesday; Six Car Pub & Brewery, 625 S. Polk St.; 806-576-3396
Iron Horse Shoot Out: 8 a.m. Thursday to 10:30 p.m. Saturday; Virgil Henson Activities Center lot at West Texas A&M University; 806-331-4100
Cameron James Smith: 6 p.m. Thursday; Walk On’s Sports Bistreaux, 3506 Soncy Road; 806-398-2003
Rock Bottom String Band: 6 p.m. Thursday; High Fidelity Records, 2818 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 252-220-4729
Candlelight Concert: Coldplay and Imagine Dragons: 6:30 p.m. Thursday; Amarillo Little Theatre Allen Shankles Mainstage, 2019 Civic Center; ticket prices vary
Coors Cowboy Club Ranch Rodeo: 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; Amarillo National Center on the Tri-State Fairgrounds, 3301 S.E. 10th Ave.; tickets $30 adults, $20 children; 806-376-7767
Music in the Gardens featuring Insufficient Funds: 7 p.m. Thursday; Amarillo Botanical Gardens, 1400 Streit Drive: admission $10 nonmembers, $5 members; 806-352-6513
The Texas Trio featuring Kyle Park, Jason Roberts and John Michael Whitby: 7 p.m. Thursday; Buffalo Grass Music Hall, 123 Main St. in Panhandle; $20 suggested donation; 806-236-2933
June Jams with Woven Wild: 7:30 p.m. Thursday; Neblett Park, 508 16th St. in Canyon; free; 806-656-6833
Retro Revue pinup fashion show: 7:30 p.m. Thursday; Idol Art Studio, 1201 S. Polk St.; 806-236-4128
Candlelight Concert: 90s Hip Hop on Strings: 8:45 p.m. Thursday; Amarillo Little Theatre Allen Shankles Mainstage, 2019 Civic Center; ticket prices vary
Celebrating 100 Years of Route 66: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday; The Shops at Wolflin Square, 1932 Civic Circle; 806-355-6131
Texas 66 Celebrity Fast Draw Shoot Out: 3 p.m. Friday; Rex Baxter Building on the Amarillo Tri-State Fairgrounds, 3301 S.E. 10th Ave.; 806-376-7767
Helium Heights Route 66 Centennial Market: 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday; 10001 W. Amarillo Blvd.; heliumheightsamarillo.com
First Friday Art Walk: 5 to 9 p.m. Friday; Arts in the Sunset, 3701 Plains Blvd.; free; 806-354-8802
Art Café: 6 to 10 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday; Stoex Design Gallery, 723 S. Georgia St.
Dave McNeir and Bergundi Rose: 7 p.m. Friday; Beef O’Brady’s, 7306 S.W. 34th Ave.; 806-358-0997
Gene Watson and The Bellamy Brothers: 7 p.m. Friday; Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Buchanan St.; tickets $46 to $96, plus fees; 806-378-3096
The Rien Nash Band: 7 p.m. Friday; Shark Beach Burgers, 1505 E. Farm-to-Market Road 1151; free; 806-335-5644
With Everything That’s Going On… art exhibition opening: 7 p.m. Friday; Lasso Gallery at Caliche, 2311 S.W. Seventh Ave.: 806-398-1008
George Lopez: 7:30 p.m. Friday; Amarillo Civic Center Complex Auditorium, 401 S. Buchanan St.; tickets $58 to $94, plus fees; 806-378-3096
Midnight Special: 8 p.m. Friday; Old Tascosa Taproom and Brewery, 3100 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-681-4050
All About Alice: 9 p.m. Friday; Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237
Jody Nix & The Texas Cowboys: 9 p.m. Friday; Western Horseman Club, 2501 E. Interstate 40; cover; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
Logan Ellis & The Fever Dream: 9 p.m. Friday; Hoots Pub, 2424 Hobbs Road; cover
National Trails Day Run: 7 a.m. Saturday; Palo Duro Canyon State Park, 11450 Park Road 5; free with park admission; 806-488-2227
Canyon Farmers Market Opening Day: 8 a.m. to noon Saturday; continues through Sept. 26; Fourth Avenue and 15th Street in Canyon; 806-567-0746
Sunset Marketown: 8 a.m. to noon Saturday; continues through Sept. 19; Arts in the Sunset, 3701 Plains Blvd.; 806-354-8802
Coors Cowboy Club Cattle Drive & Parade: 10 a.m. Saturday; Historic Bivins Home, 1000 S. Polk St., to Tri-State Fairgrounds, 3301 S.E. 10th Ave.; free; 800-692-1338
Route 66 Rally: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; Amarillo Netplex, 3723 S.W. 58th Ave.; admission $12; 806-410-2053
Colton Amerson: 6 p.m. Saturday; The Food Park on 25ninety, 13130 Soncy Road; 806-420-0582
Spirits on 66: 6 p.m. Saturday; Bomb City Distillery; 306 S. Cleveland St.; 806-220-2662
Cut Throat with Social Anxiety, La Chapuza, The Car Bombs and Blood of His Rival: 7 p.m. Saturday; 3701 Plains Blvd.; cover $10; atomicyellowict@gmail.com
Moon Dog: 7:30 p.m. Saturday; Shark Beach Burgers, 1505 E. Farm-to-Market Road 1151; free; 806-335-5644
Tracy Byrd: 8 p.m. Saturday; The Lumberyard, 850 N. 23rd St. in Canyon; tickets $43.30, plus fees; 806-804-3000
All About Alice: 9 p.m. Saturday; Skooterz, 4100 Bushland Blvd.; cover $10; 806-679-0122
Los Dorados, Estrategia Norteña, Banda Skandalo and Carlos Esquivel: 9 p.m. Saturday; Azteca Music Hall, 500 N. Farm-to-Market Road 1912; tickets $60 in advance; 806-335-9990
9 Eyes: 9 p.m. Saturday; Western Horseman Club, 2501 E. Interstate 40; cover; 806-379-6555, Ext. 2999
Seth Ward: 9 p.m. Friday; Hoots Pub, 2424 Hobbs Road; cover
Waves in April with Mourning in Peril and Divided Me: 9 p.m. Saturday; Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.; cover; 806-374-9237
Alamo Park Live with Deztinado, Boss Texas and Touching Voodoo: 3 p.m. Sunday; El Alamo Park, 16th Avenue and Roberts Street; free; 806-676-5160
Amarillo Film Society Screening: 7 p.m. Monday; Golden Light Cantina, 2906 S.W. Sixth Ave.; 806-374-9237
Jim Laughlin June Jazz Series featuring Amarillo Jazz Society: 7:30 p.m. June 9; after party at 9 p.m.; Amarillo College Experimental Theatre Porch; free; 806-371-5340
Starlight Theater with Velvet Funk with Brannon Oliver & Co.: 6:30 p.m. June 9; Sam Houston Park, 4101 Line Ave.; free; 806-378-3036
Email submissions to info@brickandelm.com.
Movie options:
Opening Thursday: internet phenomenon The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act, nostalgia play Masters of the Universe, musical drama Power Ballad and horror comedy reboot Scary Movie (Cinemark Hollywood 16, 9100 Canyon Drive, and Cinergy, 9201 Cinergy Square)
Special engagements: historical faith-based documentary Revolutionary America (Tuesday, Hollywood 16); Dog Man (Tuesday through Thursday, Cinergy); Paddington (Tuesday and Wednesday, Hollywood 16); Telugu musical Peddi (Wednesday, Hollywood 16); The Birdcage 30th anniversary (Sunday and June 10, Hollywood 16); Sonic the Hedgehog (Monday and June 10 to 11, Hollywood 16); The Croods (Monday to June 11, Cinergy); I Know What You Did Last Summer (June 9, Cinergy)
