Route 66 is turning 100, and Flagstaff is celebrating the Mother Road with the kind of mountain-town party only a 7,000-foot, pine-lined, dark-sky city can pull off.
On Saturday, June 6, 2026, Discover Flagstaff will host the Route 66 Centennial Celebration from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in downtown Flagstaff and at the Flagstaff Mall. The free event will bring together art, music, dancing, classic cars, and family-friendly fun for locals, road-trippers, and Route 66 loyalists ready to toast the highway’s 100-year milestone.
The big visual moment is 3D illusionary street art. Commissioned artists will create images designed to make the pavement look like it has come alive, turning the celebration into part festival, part photo op, part “wait, how did they do that?”
The day also lines up with the annual Hullabaloo festival at Wheeler Park, giving Flagstaff an extra hit of family-friendly energy. When the centennial celebration wraps at 5 p.m., the party moves to Heritage Square for live music before Movies on the Square screens Disney’s “Cars,” because sometimes the programming gods do understand the assignment.
Flagstaff is keeping the Route 66 love rolling beyond the main event, too. A new digital passport lets visitors check in at Route 66 landmarks, earn points, and redeem them for prizes at the Flagstaff Visitor Center at 1 E. Rt. 66. Discover Flagstaff’s “Walk this Talk” self-guided tour also starts at the Visitor Center and leads guests through 10 historic sites within about a half mile.
Around town, the centennial comes with plenty of side quests, from museum exhibits and observatory tours to local theater and guided walks through Route 66 history.
Activities to Know
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Route 66 Centennial Celebration: The free main event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2026, in downtown Flagstaff and at the Flagstaff Mall, with music, dancing, classic cars, street art, and family-friendly activities.
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3D illusionary street art: Commissioned artists will create pavement art that gives visitors the impression the street has come to life, making it one of the day’s biggest photo-ready moments.
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Hullabaloo festival: The centennial celebration coincides with the annual Hullabaloo festival at Wheeler Park, adding another layer of family-friendly fun to the day.
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Heritage Square and Movies on the Square: After the Route 66 celebration ends at 5 p.m., live music continues on Heritage Square before Movies on the Square screens Disney’s “Cars.”
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Route 66 digital passport: Locals and visitors can check in at Route 66 landmarks, earn points, and redeem them for prizes at the Flagstaff Visitor Center.
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“Walk this Talk” self-guided tour: This Route 66 walking experience starts at the Visitor Center and leads guests through 10 historic sites within about a half mile.
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Museum of Northern Arizona: The “Wagon Road to Mother Road” exhibition explores how Route 66 changed the region, including early car crashes, campsites, and roadside activity documented through archeological work in Petrified Forest National Park.
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Lowell Observatory: The daily “Cosmic Highways: A Centennial Tour” connects astronomical discoveries along Route 66 in Arizona, features Percival Lowell’s historic 1911 Stevens-Duryea car, and allows guests to return in the evening for stargazing and telescope viewing.
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Theatrikos Theatre Co.: “Route 66 to the Grand Canyon” runs through Nov. 11 and uses a comedy plot to explore the lore of Route 66.
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Freaky Foot Tours: The Flagstaff-based tour company’s two-hour Southside walking tour explores the 1926 and 1934 Route 66 alignments and how Flagstaff leaders helped bring the highway through town instead of southern Arizona.
Visitors are encouraged to stay and play responsibly and can stop by the Flagstaff Visitor Center at 1 E. Rt. 66 for an official Flagstaff Visitor Guide.
To learn more, visit discoverflagstaff.com.
