Annual Red Carpet Corridor Festival Celebrates Route 66 Centennial with Two Days of Free Festivities in 15 Route 66 Communities

Joliet, IL — The 19^th annual Red Carpet Corridor Festival returns to Route 66 bigger and better than ever as 15 host communities prepare to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the iconic Mother Road with live entertainment, automobile shows, craft and antique markets, and plenty of quirky, nostalgic Route 66 fun for the entire family.

From Saturday, May 2 to Sunday, May 3, 2026, the two-day festival will celebrate the historic Route 66 centennial with free festivities, photo ops, and giveaways in 15 Route 66 communities from Joliet to Bloomington-Normal, IL. Visitors can cruise 100 miles of Route 66, stopping along the way to participate in activities, collect commemorative giveaways, or further explore the host communities.

Participating communities include Joliet, Elwood, Wilmington, Braidwood, Godley, Braceville, Gardner, Dwight, Odell, Pontiac, Chenoa, Lexington, Normal and Bloomington. Each community will host exciting programming to celebrate the centennial. A few of this year’s signature centennial celebrations include:

• Route 66 through Music in Downtown Joliet (Friday kickoff event)
• Run the Rock 6.6K at the Old Joliet Prison (Sunday only)
• Rialto Square Theatre Open House & Tours (Sunday only)
• Trolley Tours and a Hot Dog Giveaway in Dwight
• Swinging Bridges Art Festival in Pontiac (Saturday & Sunday)
• Route 66 Skoolie Swarm in Pontiac (Saturday & Sunday)

To commemorate the 2026 centennial, Red Carpet Corridor will be giving away limited edition water bottles while supplies last. Each host community will be offering a unique Red Carpet Corridor sticker that attendees can collect and use to decorate their water bottle. Attendees can register to pick up their water bottle in either Joliet or Bloomington-Normal on Eventbrite.

Red Carpet Corridor would like to thank all the dedicated volunteers, host communities, and partnering organizations — including the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway, Heritage Corridor Destinations, and VisitBN — that make this beloved event possible. 

More information about commemorative giveaway locations and activities in each community can be found on the event website at www.ilroute66redcarpetcorridor.com.