A plethora of events on Blue Carpet Corridor this weekend

The only problem that Route 66 roadies should be facing in Illinois June 13-14 is how to fit everything into one weekend! An amazing array of activities and attractions await!

When a handful of us gathered in Carlinville in November 2014 to establish the Blue Carpet Corridor, one of the first decisions to make was choosing the date. We eventually concluded that the second weekend in June made the most sense. We could build visitation onto two established and long-running festivals that weekend - Chatham's American Legion Homecoming and Edwardsville's Route 66 Festival. It also meant that the Blue Carpet Corridor would coincide with the Route 66 Association of Illinois' annual Motor Tour! And on alternate years, the Illinois Motor Tour begins in Edwardsville!

This year's Illinois Motor Tour - the 26th annual! - kicks off on Friday evening with dinner at Solerno's in Hodgekins, leaves the Berwyn Car Museum on Saturday morning, and ends its first full day with the traditional Hall of Fame Banquet in Lincoln. On Sunday, the Motor Tour will cruise through the Blue Carpet Corridor and end with a special opportunity to drive across the historic Chain of Rocks Bridge, which is not normally open to vehicular traffic. For details and itinerary please visit http://il66assoc.org/content/2015-motor-tour-miners-mobsters-and-mother-road The Blue Carpet Corridor Coalition is very proud to share their theme, "Miners, Mobsters, and the Mother Road" with the Illinois Motor Tour!

Here is our Blue Carpet Corridor schedule of events for the entire weekend! Please note that some festivities begin on Thursday or Friday evening! And for updates and details, please go to www.bluecarpetcorridor.org

2015 BLUE CARPET CORRIDOR EVENT SCHEDULE

CHATHAM, ILLINOIS TO COLLINSVILLE, ILLINOIS

ON HISTORIC ROUTE 66

CHATHAM

Passport Stop – Railroad Museum, 100 N. State Street

Thurs.-Fri. 5 pm-midnight; Sat. noon-midnight - 68^th Annual American Legion Homecoming, Chatham Village Square – old-fashioned street festival with carnival, food, beverages, live music

Sat.-Sun. - Visit the Railroad Museum, 100 N. State Street

Sat.-Sun. - Visit the Sugar Creek Covered Bridge, just east of Chatham

AUBURN

Passport Stop – (Sat.) Auburn Brick Road, (Sun.) 820 Lincoln Street

Sat. 10 am-4 pm – Auburn Brick Road Festival, vintage cars, period costumes, live music with Whispering Joe

Sun. noon-3pm – Live music with Whispering Joe

THAYER

Passport Stop – Pudock's Hideout, 207 E. Main Street

Sat. beginning at noon - Cruise-In with BBQ, sock hop, live music, at Pudock's Hideout

VIRDEN

Passport Stop – Silvernick's, 321 E. Jackson Street, and Chamber of Commerce tent, City Square

Fri.-Sat. - Virden City-Wide Garage Sales

Sat. noon-5 pm – Award-winning Lincoln impersonator Randy Duncan giving the Farewell Speech

Sat. 2 pm – Andrews Family Magic

Sat. 3 pm – Taylor Pensonau, Author

Sat.-Sun. - Vendors, live entertainment, historical presentations, stores open

Sat.-Sun. - Claim to Fame Tent (meet interesting folks with unusual hobbies or claims to fame)

Sun. 10 am-5 pm – Best Wedding Chapel Services offering weddings and vow renewals

Sun. 11 am-2 pm – Macoupin County Animal Shelter Pet Adoption

Sun. 1 pm – Elvis Himselvis

Sun. 3-5 pm – Route 66 Musicians Reunion Show (at 4 pm Bruley Boot Scooters)

GIRARD

Passport Stop – Doc's Soda Fountain, 133 S. Second Street

Sat.-Sun. 10 am-4 pm – Farm Equipment Show, at Town Square, judging and awards on Sun.

Sat.-Sun. 10 am-4 pm - Historic Preservation Seminars, at Girard Library

Sat.-Sun. 10 am-4 pm – Petting Zoo and Concession Stand by FFA

Sat.-Sun. 10 am-4 pm – Live Entertainment on stage in the Town Square

Sat.-Sun. - Children's activities at Whirl-a-Whip on Route 4

Sat.-Sun. 10 am-4 pm – County and Town Royalty will be present as time allows

NILWOOD

Passport Stop – Iron Sleds Motorcycle Club on Route 4

Iron Sleds Motorcycle Club will escort visitors to the famous Nilwood Turkey Tracks

CARLINVILLE

Passport Stop – Gazebo on City Square

Sat. beginning at 10 am – Rib cook-off, mud bogs, kraft beer tasting, big rigs for kids (fire trucks, police car, antique tractors, old and new semis), at Macoupin County Fairgrounds

Sat. talks at 10 am and 2 pm - “Tales of the Jail” with historian Bill McClain, at historic county jail

Sat. 12 noon – Dedication of plaque for historic Loomis House Hotel

Sun. 10 am-3 pm, tours every 30 minutes – Standard Addition Sears Homes walking tours with period actor guides, food and drink available, tours begin at Carlinville Plaza off Wilson Street

Sun. - Walking tour of planter murals on the City Square, all depicting events during the original 1926-1930 Route 66 alignment

GILLESPIE

Passport Stop – Pomatto Park, next to City Hall, 115 N. Macoupin Street

Sat. - Gillespie High School Chorus Car Wash

Sat.- Fireman's Fish Fry, at Fire Station

Sat. - Coal Country Sports Complex Cook Out, at Randy's Supermarket

Sat. - Mural Unveiling – no ceremony but a “Must See” at 120 S. Macoupin Street

Sat. - Welch's Route 66 Auto/Mafia Bros. Customs Grand Opening

Sat.-Sun. - Community-wide yard sales

Sat.-Sun. - The Illinois Museum of Coal at Gillespie, display at City Hall while waiting for a permanent home

Sat.-Sun. - CM Studio presents “A Walk With Dinosaurs”, 216 Macoupin Street

BENLD

Passport Stop – TJ's Convenience Store, 201 Hardroad (next to the Bronze Dancers)

Sat. 9 am-2 pm – Flea Market at 2630 Staunton Road, next to Toni's Family Restaurant

STAUNTON

Passport Stop – The Wingfest, at 121 Elm Street

Fri.-Sat. - City-Wide Yard Sales

Fri.-Sat. - Downtown Business Sales

Sat. - Staunton Summer Fest with Live Bands noon-10:30 pm, Kids entertainment, Magic Show, Food, Beer, at Duda Park

Sat. - Elbon Shrine Club Wing Cook Off

Sat. noon-4 pm – Route 66 Chat and Book Signing with Cheryl Eichar Jett at Wingfest

HAMEL

Passport Stop – Weezy's Route 66 Bar & Grill, 108 S. Old Route 66

Sat. 10 am–4 pm – Tours of the “Church of the Neon Cross” (first time organized tours of this church have been offered to Route 66 fans), at St. Paul Lutheran Church, north of Hamel on frontage road

Sun. 9 am–4 pm – Take a look at this original Route 66 Roadhouse formerly known as the Tourist Haven, full of historic photos, signage, and memorabilia from Route 66, at Weezy's Bar & Grill

EDWARDSVILLE

Passport Stop – Afterwords Books, 454 E. Vandalia

Fri. 5 pm-midnight, Sat. 10 am-midnight - 18^th Annual Route 66 Festival with live bands, vendors, children's activities, history tent, trolley tours, Classic Car Cruise, at City Park

Sat. 8 am-noon - Goshen Community Market, one of the largest in the area, downtown Edwardsville

Sat. 8 pm - “Surf's Up – America's Premiere Beach Boys Band, live at the Wildey Theatre, tickets required

Sat. 10 am-5 pm, Sun. 10 am-4 pm - Grand Re-Opening of Afterwords Books, 454 E. Vandalia

Sat.-Sun. - Tours of Historic Cathcart/Goddard Tourist Inn (now Afterwords Books), 454 E. Vandalia

Sun. 1-4 pm – Local Author Fair, authors of nonfiction and fiction in a variety of genres will autograph their books, Afterwords Books, 454 E. Vandalia

All weekend – look for the “Welcome Route 66 Roadies” sign at Edison's Entertainment Complex

GLEN CARBON

Passport Stop – (Sat. 9 am-4 pm) Glen Carbon Heritage Museum, 124 School Street, (Sun. 10 am-4 pm) Yanda Log Cabin, 148 Main Street

Sat. 9 am-4 pm, Sun. 10 am-4 pm – Heritage Museum open with Glen Carbon 1941 antique fire truck on display

Sat.-Sun. 10 am-3 pm – Metro East Model Railroad Club Trains will be running, at the old Fire House, 180 Summit Street (corner of Summit and Second Streets)

Sat. 9 am-4 pm, Sun. 10 am-4 pm – Yanda Log Cabin open with 1933 antique Dodge Coupe on display

Sat. 1-4 pm, Sun. noon-4 pm – Washington Kettle Corn & soft drinks available at Yanda Log Cabin

Sat. only 1-3:30 pm – Goerge Portz & The Friends of Bluegrass will play at Yanda Log Cabin

LITCHFIELD

Passport Stop – Litchfield Museum & Route 66 Welcolme Center, 334 Old Route 66 North

Sun. 9 am-3 pm – Pickers Market, vintage items & collectibles, downtown Litchfield

Sun. 9 am-4 pm – Wolf Pack Car Club Annual Car Show, Library Park, downtown Litchfield

MT. OLIVE

Passport Stop – Soulsby Station, 102 S. Route 66

Sat.-Sun. - Soulsby Station will be open

Sat.-Sun. - Visit the Mother Jones Memorial in Mt. Olive Cemetery

WILLIAMSON

Passport Stop – The Winery at Shale Lake, 1499 Washington Avenue

Sat. night – Live music at the Winery at Shale Lake

Sat.-Sun. - Video of Coal Mine Old No. 2 in operation, produced by the Mt. Olive-Staunton Coal Company, showing both days, the Winery at Shale Lake

TROY

Passport Stop – On S. Main Street between Market and Center Streets

Fri. - Locally-filmed movie “Marshall the Miracle Dog” will be shown at dusk on the Jarvis Township parking lot on N. Main Street. Marshall will greet visitors from 7 – 8 pm.

Sat. beginning at 11 am – Downtown Days, with Office Olympics, children's activities, food vendors

Sat. 11 am-4 pm – Meineke Grand Opening, bounce house, car care clinics, tours, free food, prizes, at 311 Jarvis Court (just off 162 going into downtown Troy)

Sat. 5 pm – Second Walldogs mural in Troy, final viewing, on side of Adams Store at S. Main and Center Streets

Sat. at dusk - “The LEGO Movie”

COLLINSVILLE

Passport Stop – Miner's Theatre, 204 Main Street

Sat.-Sun. 10 am-4 pm – Miner's Theatre tours

Sat.-Sun. - Special exhibit at the Collinsville Historical Museum

Sat.-Sun. Gates open 10 am-7 pm - Willoughby Farm, staff will be there Sat. 10 am-2 pm

Sat.-Sun. Daylight hours – Arlington Wetlands, self-guided tours