MSU Libraries Has Information Table at the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival
On Friday and Saturday, August 10 and 11, 2018, the MSU Libraries had a table at the 8th Annual Birthplace of Route 66 Festival held in downtown Springfield, Missouri. Another attendance record was set again this year, with approximately 56,000 people attending, despite a heavy downpour on Friday evening. Out table was located in the Old Glass Place on East St. Louis Street (part of the original Route 66 alignment), in an area devoted to authors, artists, and associations. We distributed replica postcards containing images of the original telegram from Friday, April 30, 1926, complementary copies of OzarksWatch Magazine, and free pens. We highlighted our ongoing interest in the history and culture of Route 66, as well as the entire Ozarks region, including our various oral history projects about the Mother Road and the region. Visitor traffic at the table was significant, especially on Saturday, the peak of the festival.