18th Annual Illinois Red Carpet Corridor Festival May 3-4

by Cheryl Eichar-Jett

Illinois Route 66 is rich with annual events that celebrate the Mother Road, including several that have endured for quite a few years. One of these is the Red-Carpet Corridor (RCC), a two-day, self-guided tour along the approximately northern one-third of Illinois Route 66. In fact, in 2023, the RCC expanded to include not just the communities beginning with Joliet all the way south to Towanda, but also the major urban area of Bloomington-Normal. Each community along the Route plans and manages its own festivities, making up a lively mix from full-blown festivals to antique and craft sales, art sales, car and motorcycle shows, live entertainment, and plenty of yard, garage, and sidewalk sales along the way.

According to this year’s Red Carpet Corridor website, “Food, snacks, and treats will be in abundance, and there are plenty of historic sites, outstanding free museums, and unique mom and pop businesses to help create a nostalgic journey for all to enjoy. Visitors can simply enjoy the drive or stop and get out of the car to have their picture taken with Elvis or do a little shopping in any of the great stores along the Mother Road.”

The RCC is traditionally held annually on the first weekend in May, and this year’s 18th Annual event is scheduled to kick off at 8:00 am on Saturday, May 3, at the Joliet Area Museum and Welcome Center and run through Sunday afternoon, May 4. With the addition last year of Bloomington-Normal at the southern end of the 100-mile-long stretch of Route 66, that adds up to a total of 15 communities participating: Joliet, Elwood, Wilmington, Braidwood, Godley, Braceville, Gardner, Dwight, Odell, Pontiac, Chenoa, Lexington, Towanda, Normal, and Bloomington.

A sampling from some of the communities includes: Joliet – the Old Joliet Prison and Welcome Center will be open for self-guided tours ($22 per ticket). Elwood – Antique tractors exhibit. Wilmington – Flea market, Route 66 Band. Braidwood – Car show and music. Gardner – Root beer floats and pork chop sandwiches at the Streetcar Diner. Dwight – Vendor Fair, Burger Competition. Pontiac – Annual Swinging Bridges Arts Festival, Art Sale and Demos downtown, live music. Lexington – “Bourbon, Beer & BBQ,” live music. Normal – photo ops and souvenir shopping at Sprague’s Super Service. Bloomington – Cruisin’ with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center, Farmer’s Market, festival, car show, Art Trail. PLUS, in most communities, there will be special sales (art, baked goods, antiques, craft, flea, garage); food (vendors, trucks, tents, restaurants); museums and historic sites open (look for souvenirs, refreshments, special exhibits, and/or free admission).

Please check out the complete list of activities, days, and times on the event website: www.ilroute66redcarpetcorridor.com/events.html. (For instance, some activities are scheduled only for Saturday, etc.)

Previous RCC attendees will know that each year, a special souvenir commemorative item, such as a postcard or puzzle piece, is given to attendees, with a designated pickup location in each participating community for their unique item. This year is no different, and the commemorative give-away will be available at select participating locations. Also, this year, the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway is offering an extra give-away promotion of an Illinois Route 66 souvenir package worth over $250. (To be eligible for the Byway prize package, download the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway mobile app by searching “Explore Illinois Route 66” in the App Store or on Google Play. Click on “Passports” to participate by entering the CODE available at each location. Check in via the mobile app at all 15 locations and you will be entered to win.)

Partnering organizations for this year’s festival include: Heritage Corridor Destinations, Illinois Office of Tourism, Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway, Route 66 Association of Illinois, Route 66 News, Route 66 Road Trip, and VisitBN Bloomington-Normal Area CVB. A complete schedule and listing of events and commemorative giveaway pickup locations for all 15 communities can be found at: www.ilroute66redcarpetcorridor.com.

The original idea for the event came from Betty Estes, Pontiac’s first tourism director, who served in that capacity from 1999 to 2005. Betty developed a habit of keeping a piece of red carpet in her car. When she met bus tours as they arrived in Pontiac, she whipped out the red carpet to roll out in front of the bus. For her, it was easy to extend the concept to begin working with neighboring Route 66 communities such as Dwight, Odell, and Chenoa to develop a plan for a self-guided tour event that showcased the various 66 communities’ attractions.

The first Red Carpet Corridor event was held May 5-6, 2007, and the list of early event organizers also included John Weiss, Illinois Route 66 preservationist and author. Ellie Alexander, Pontiac’s second tourism director, served as the RCC Chairperson for nearly a decade. In 2015, Alexander handed the reins to Debyjo Ericksen, who now serves as Tourism Coordinator & Membership Engagement at Heritage Corridor Destinations in Joliet. Two years ago, Ericksen passed the RCC reins back to the City of Pontiac’s Office of Tourism with Liz Vincent now serving as Pontiac’s tourism director.

“We are excited for the 18th Annual Red Carpet Corridor Festival to again travel 100 miles through 14 communities from Joliet to Bloomington. Each community gets the opportunity to showcase their unique Route 66 attractions. Both days will be jam-packed with fun and festivities and will guarantee that festivalgoers will have a great time while they get their kicks,” said Liz Vincent, Pontiac Tourism Director.

If you go: visit ilroute66redcarpetcorridor.com or visitpontiac.org to plan your trip.

Cheryl Eichar-Jett is the author of numerous books and articles about Route 66. Find her at route66chick.com and cheryleicharjett.com.