Summertime, and the living is easy! At least it is if you’re traveling Route 66 across the Grand Canyon State. The weather is beautiful; wish you were here. Welcome to the newsletter of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. I’m Roger Naylor, Arizona author and travel writer, and it’s my privilege to pen these newsletters that we hope will inform and entertain. Let’s rev those engines and get started.
While several great Centennial events have been popping up in Flagstaff already in 2026, the fun absolutely explodes during the first week of June. This is “the only 7,000-foot elevation, pine-fresh, dark-sky city on the Mother Road.” So, you just know, they’re going to throw down. On June 6, Flag holds its official Route 66 Centennial Celebration that will incorporate an incredible display of mind-blowing 3D-illusionary street art. There will also be music, dancing, classic cars, and plenty more, packed into a daylong celebration.
The fun doesn’t stop even when the Centennial celebration wraps up at 5 p.m. Because there’s more live music on Heritage Square, and they kick off their annual summer series of Movies on the Square. For June 6, they’ll feature the Pixar classic, Cars. Excellent choice!
The free event coincides with Hullabaloo at Wheeler Park, turning most of the downtown area into one big, lively party scene. Now in its 17th year, Hullabaloo is a community festival that features a bike parade, giant puppets, circus performers, two performance stages, food, vendors, and a huge kids’ area. Hullabaloo takes place June 6-7.
And even though we’ve included information on all the Centennial-related events ongoing in Flag, this seems like a good time for a recap. Plan on spending a few days here to take it all in.
Museum of Northern Arizona features the exhibition “Wagon Road to Mother Road.” Following an archeological dig in Petrified Forest National Park, the exhibition highlights car crashes, camp sites, and the changes brought by Route 66.
Lowell Observatory offers a new experience called “Cosmic Highways: A Centennial Tour” that details the astronomical discoveries along Route 66 in Arizona. It also features Percival Lowell’s historic 1911 Stevens-Duryea automobile. The tour is at 3 p.m. daily and allows readmission for guests who wish to return in the evening for stargazing and telescope viewing.
Theatrikos Theatre Company presents a new comedy play that explores the lore of the Mother Road. “Route 66 to the Grand Canyon” runs through Nov. 11.
Freaky Foot Tours offers a new, two-hour walking tour of the Southside neighborhood that reveal lots of great stories and historic information on both the 1926 and 1934 alignments of Route 66.
And finally, here’s one more reason to come to Flagstaff. On June 4, I’ll be giving a Route 66 presentation at the Flagstaff Public Library. All year, I’ve been giving these talks celebrating Route 66, Arizona’s role and saving it, and how to experience an old-fashioned road trip again. I’ve given them all across the state, often to packed houses, in Sierra Vista, Bisbee, Tucson, Maricopa, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Chandler, Goodyear, Cave Creek, Cottonwood, Sedona, and Payson with several more scheduled. This is the only one I’m actually giving on Route 66.
The presentation includes a PowerPoint slide show, Q & A, and book sales afterward. It will be at 6 p.m. on June 4 at the Flagstaff Public Library. Stop by and plan an adventure. 300 W. Aspen Ave.
One of the most eagerly anticipated car shows will take place June 5-6. The Williams Historic Route 66 Car Show lines up some 600 vintage rides through the downtown. Classic vehicles, hot rods, muscle cars, and plenty more are on display for everyone’s enjoyment. The gala includes live music, great food, and unique vendors. It’s hard to imagine a better combination than a summer day in the Arizona high country on Route 66 ogling some sweet vintage rides.
Shiny cars aren’t the only thing adding a splash of color to the streets of Williams. Three historic Route 66 neon signs have been lovingly restored and were relighted last month. The Canyon Club, Sultana Bar, and Turquoise Teepee are once again carving the night sky into rainbow hues. It’s only fitting. If Route 66 has a birthday cake for its centennial, the candles should certainly be neon.
The neon restoration work was overseen by the Williams Alliance for the Arts with funding from the National Trust of Historic Preservation and the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. Congratulations on a job well done.
📷:Rhys Martin
Let the heavens fall into your lap on June 8 in Holbrook at their Mobile Planetarium experience. The Holbrook Public Library teamed up with the White Mountain Nature Center and Arizona Science Center to create an immersive dome theatre. See the rich beauty of the night sky in a whole new way. The unique, guided experience is perfect for families, students, and stargazers. The Mobile Planetarium will take place on June 8 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Martinez Hall, located at the Navajo County Fairgrounds. Bring your sense of wonder. 404 E. Hopi Dr.
Here’s something completely new! You can have another out-of-this-world experience when you follow the path taken by the Apollo astronauts to the bottom of Meteor Crater. Every Saturday morning, guided hikes will follow the route taken by Neil Armstrong and his cronies to simulate walking on the moon. But don’t worry, you won’t have to don a spacesuit for the journey.
Meteor Crater was one of several training sites for the men from NASA along Arizona’s Route 66 as they prepared to fly to the moon. But this is the first time the experience is available to civilians. Floor tours leave each Saturday at 9 a.m. and cost $125 per person. The cost of general admission to the crater is included in the price. Better book ahead for this bucket-list experience. The outing traverses steep and uneven terrain and should only be attempted by experienced hikers.
Also starting in June one of my favorite summer activities will start up. Local Native American and Mexican folkloric dance group dancers perform in front of the Old Courthouse. Dance groups of varying ages participate in the programs, which take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Dances begin on June 8 and run through July 24.
They share their culture through traditional regalia and stylized dance. And I can say from personal experience, it is truly special to be there in the soft embrace of summer twilight amid the rhythmic music watching the swirl of color and movement. You know you’re witnessing something ancient and powerful. Some evenings may include Native artwork, food, or local drum groups.
📷:Holbrook Summer Dance Groups
While in Holbrook, be sure to stop by the very cool shop and information outpost, The Bend on 66. This educational center opened in the summer of 2025 in a historic building in downtown Holbrook and serves as an outlet of Petrified Forest National Park. It’s a great place to ask questions, gather park information, and plan your day in the park. In the store, visitors can purchase books, toys, and collectibles. Rangers offer demonstrations and there’s plenty of Route 66 info as well. Nice to have a park presence right in town—a good reminder that not many communities are blessed to have a national park as a neighbor. The Bend on 66 sits at one of the few 90-degree turns on all of the Mother Road.
Plenty of restaurants throw down the gastronomical gauntlet for hungry, hearty customers. But none are as famous as the Big Texan Steak Challenge. The Big Texan Steak Ranch is a legendary Route 66 joint in Amarillo, Texas. Since the 1960s, brave and/or foolish patrons can attempt to eat a 72-oz. steak dinner that includes, shrimp cocktail, baked potato, salad, roll, butter, and the plate-draping massive slab of beef. Finish it all in less than an hour, and the meal is free. Needless to say, it’s not for the faint of heart or light of stomach.
But if you’re itching to witness this spectacle, you can save yourself a trip to Amarillo. The National Route 66 Centennial Caravan will roll through Arizona and offer a Big Texan Steak Challenge in both Kingman and Flagstaff. On June 9 at 5:30 p.m. be at Locomotive Park in Kingman. On June 10 at 5:30, they do it again but this time in Flagstaff at Best Western Pony Soldier Inn. Better limber up those taste buds and unloosen a couple of notches on your belt.
This little trading post in Joseph City has been a Route 66 icon since the 1940s. Now this month, they will kick off a brand-new event. The Inaugural Jack Rabbit Trading Post Car & Bike Show will take place on June 13 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Along with some sweet shiny rides, there will be door prizes, raffles, games, food vendors, awards, and plenty of fun. Cindy and Tony Jaquez pour so much love and energy into their historic store every day. A special event like this is just a big old cherry on the top. And think of all the great photo ops with Mr. Rabbit, the iconic Here It Is sign, and a bunch of classic rides together! Don’t miss this one.
Well, that’s it for now. And please remember, you can find all Centennial information and events on the Association website.
If you have items of interest you’d like to share in an upcoming newsletter, you can email them to me, Roger Naylor, at [email protected], or to Nikki Terlesky, Director of Operations at Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, at [email protected].
Thanks for being part of the Route 66 family. Happy motoring! 🚗💨