Today marks 100 years since historic Route 66 was officially established, and Tulsa is pulling out all the stops in celebration — which is no surprise for the city often coined the "Capital of Route 66."
The historic highway is also sharing the spotlight today with our country's former service members.
The annual Veterans Day parade kicks off downtown at 11 a.m. This year's theme is "Celebrating 250 years of Freedom." More than 6,000 marchers, 150 floats and 400 vehicles are expected to participate this year.
The parade route will start at Third Street and Boston Avenue, and conclude at Veterans Park in downtown Tulsa. The parade route is scheduled to be closed to traffic at 10:30 a.m. and will reopen at 2 p.m.
Following the parade, several events across Tulsa continue the day's festivities:
- Free hourly screenings of the documentary "Crossroads of America" at The Canopy Tulsa. Screenings start at noon through 6 p.m.
- Centennial Crawl offers participants a leisurely stroll through eight much-loved Tulsa venues: Woody Guthrie Center, 108 Contemporary, Bob Dylan Center, Living Arts of Tulsa, 101 Archer, Greenwood Rising, Thomas K, McKeon Center for Creativity at TCC Metro Campus and Guthrie Green. Admission is free.
- The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino has planned a street party from 3 to 6:30 p.m. complete with live music from King Cabbage and Inspryal Circus and various Mother Road celebrations.
- "A Centennial Moment" is planned at 5 p.m. on Main Street to gather and officially recognize the Route 66's 100th birthday.
- Two concerts will bring a close to the days celebrations: Bob Bills' Texas Playboys will be at Guthrie Green from 6 to 7:30 p.m and a sold out show at Cain's Ballroom will feature Tulsa band Wilderado. The Guthrie Green concert is free to attend.
For more information on the list of events, visit the Oklahoma Route 66 Association Centennial Celebration website here.
