What we found to be one of the craziest weekends downtown (in a good way) on our first go-around last year of being at our new location, “Car Show Weekend,” has unfortunately now officially been cancelled for this summer. The International Route 66 Mother Road Festival which takes place every year at the end of September and was slated to take place this year from September 25th-27th, has decided to pull the plug this year after growing concerns of the rise of COVID-19. From the festival’s facebook page:

The current status of the phased reopening in Illinois, coupled with an overabundance of caution has been the major force in driving this decision. We are fully planning to host the event in 2021 and will announce dates as soon as they are confirmed.

Participants who have pre-registered vehicles will automatically receive a refund. Please note it may take up to 30 days to receive your refund. You will receive an email once the cancellation is processed and you will see the credit to your credit card within 5-7 business days from that date.

The International Route 66 Mother Road Festival hosts and organizers appreciate your patience and support as we work through this unprecedented situation. We look forward to seeing you in 2021.

At this point every major downtown festival and event has been cancelled this summer, we’ll keep our site updated on more cancellations or news on what events are still happening. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade downtown was originally re-scheduled for September as well, although the future is still unpredictable for events even at that time.