2025 Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor Festival

This two-day festival, May 3rd & 4th, 2025, is all about family fun on the most famous two-lane highway in America – Route 66. Sponsored by the fifteen communities which make up the 100-mile linear museum from Joliet to Bloomington, the annual festival invites everyone to experience the good life in the slow lane.

Each community will produce its own events. From full-blown festivals to antique and craft sales, art sales, car and motorcycle shows, live entertainments, and plenty of yard, garage, and sidewalk sales along the way, everyone is sure to discover something unique.

​​Participating communities: ​Joliet, Elwood, Wilmington, Braidwood, Godley, Braceville, Gardner, Dwight, Odell, Pontiac, Chenoa, Lexington, Towanda, Normal and Bloomington.

Food, snacks and treats will be in abundance, and there are plenty of historic sites, outstanding free museums and unique mom & pop businesses to help create a nostalgic journey for all to enjoy. Visitors can simply enjoy the drive, or stop and get out of the car to have their picture taken with Elvis, or do a little shopping in any of the great stores along the Mother Road.

Download the Illinois Route 66 Scenic byway mobile app by searching “Explore Illinois Route 66” in the App Store or on Google Play. Click on “Passports” to participate by entering the CODE available at each location.

Check in via the mobile app at all 15 locations and you will be entered to win a prize package worth over $225. Check out all the items in the giveaway below!

Details about passport stops, commemorative giveaway locations and activities in each community can be found on the event website at www.ilroute66redcarpetcorridor.com.

The Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor would like to thank all our great volunteers, our participating communities, and our partnering organizations, including the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway, Heritage Corridor Destinations and Bloomington-Normal Area CVB.

Come experience and explore, the Red Carpet Corridor!