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Route 66 Centennial will be celebrated June 6 in Flagstaff

News Release
May 14, 2026

Flagstaff, Ariz. — This year marks the Route 66 Centennial, and Flagstaff is ready to welcome locals, domestic and international visitors to celebrate the historic, 100-year milestone with a special event June 6.

Ahead of the centennial, Discover Flagstaff has been promoting Flagstaff as “the only 7,000-foot elevation, pine-fresh, dark-sky city on the Mother Road.”

Discover Flagstaff is planning a Route 66 Centennial Celebration on June 6 that will incorporate 3D-illusionary street art, music, dancing, classic cars and other family-friendly elements into the daylong celebration.

The illusionary street art promises to be a showstopper, with artists commissioned to create images that will give visitors the impression the street has come to life.

The free event will coincide with the annual Hullabaloo festival at Wheeler Park, making for a lively, family friendly day of celebration.

Aspen Avenue, between Leroux and San Francisco Streets, will be closed from the afternoon of Friday, June 5, through Saturday evening, June 6, allowing visitors to enjoy the downtown area on foot. Additional special events are occurring near Gateway Plaza — the patio and walking areas between Rainbow’s End and Flagstaff Brewing Co.

Mountain Line is offering free bus service on all routes for the Route 66 Centennial celebration on June 6, so leave the car behind and tour the Mother Road in style. The Route 66 bus departs the Downtown Connection Center every hour at quarter after, and will offer a tour of the sites along Route 66 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

The city also recently launched a new digital passport, providing locals and visitors an opportunity to “check in” at Route 66 landmarks to earn points they can redeem for prizes at the Visitor Center (1 E. Route 66).

Discover Flagstaff also offers the “Walk this Talk” Route 66 self-guided tour, which begins at the Visitor Center and guides visitors through 10 historic sites within about a half mile of the starting point.

Several local attractions also have Route 66 themed specials for the centennial:

  • The Museum of Northern Arizona opened the exhibition “Wagon Road to Mother Road” focusing on how Route 66 changed the region. Archeologist David Purcell conducted a dig in Petrified Forest National Park, and the exhibition details the car crashes, camp sites and other activities along Route 66 in its early days.
  • Lowell Observatory has a new tour called “Cosmic Highways: A Centennial Tour” that offers guests a chance to see Percival Lowell’s historic 1911 Stevens-Duryea car that he drove around Flagstaff. The tour follows astronomical discoveries along Route 66 in Arizona. The tour is daily at 3 p.m. and tickets allow readmission for guests who wish to return in the evening for stargazing and telescope viewing.
  • Theatrikos Theatre Co. in Flagstaff is presenting a new performance to run through Nov. 11 called “Route 66 to the Grand Canyon" that uses a comedy plot to explore the lore of Route 66.
  • Flagstaff-based tour company Freaky Foot Tours is offering a new, two-hour walking tour of the Southside neighborhood that explores both the 1926 and 1934 alignments of Route 66. The tour shares the story of how Flagstaff leaders helped bring the highway to Flagstaff rather than through southern Arizona.

The city invites you to rediscover Route 66, enjoy the many experiences and mark your calendar for the June 6 event, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. https://www.flagstaffarizona.org/things-to-do/route-66/route-66-centennial

Event: Flagstaff Route 66 Centennial Celebration
Time: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Date: Saturday, June 6, 2026.
Locations: Downtown Flagstaff and the Flagstaff Mall.

Flagstaff provides an ideal home base for visitors to explore some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, including the Grand Canyon and other national parks and monuments, Route 66, a charming historic downtown with trains, shopping, art galleries, events, music, restaurants and nightlife. It is the world’s first international dark-sky city and is also in the world’s largest ponderosa pine forest and surrounded by Native American culture. Uniquely Arizona with four seasons, outdoor enthusiasts enjoy perfect weather for summer hiking or biking, beautiful fall colors, winter sports and spring wildflowers. Flagstaff’s restaurant scene includes four James Beard nominees, and it is a leading craft beer city.

Please stay and play responsibly. Visit the Flagstaff Visitor Center (1 E. Rt. 66) for an official Flagstaff Visitor Guide.

Learn more at discoverflagstaff.com.