Thomas is ready to roll. The dog, who belongs to Tulsa City Councilor Jeannie Cue, is dressed for Saturday’s Most Patriotic Pet contest. The event is part of the second annual Route 66 PatriotFest celebration along the Mother Road. The pet contest begins at 9 a.m. at the Route 66 Village on Southwest Boulevard./ PHOTO PROVIDED
Anyone who knows City Councilor Jeannie Cue knows she loves Tulsa. So last year she got to thinking about how she might make the city even better, and she came up with the Route 66 PatriotFest.
“We just wanted to start having festivals on historic Route 66,” Cue said. “We have so many thousands of people who travel every year along the Mother Road that have the opportunity to visit our city and get to know our city.
“It’s also an opportunity to support our veterans organizations, because Tulsa is so patriotic.”
Now she’s back at it. The second annual Route 66 PatriotFest begins at 8 a.m. Saturday with a car and motorcycle cruise along Tulsa’s stretch of Route 66. The cruise begins at Daylight Donut Flour Company, 11707 E. 11th St., and ends at Crystal City Shopping Center, 4261 Southwest Blvd.
Other PatriotFest events begin at 9 a.m. at the historic Route 66 Village and Webster High School on Southwest Boulevard. The street will be closed from South Union Avenue to west 37th Street.
Tulsa’s Most Patriotic Pet contest will begin at 9 a.m. at the Route 66 Village.
PatriotFest will also include music and entertainment, a car and motorcycle show, a kids’ zone and other activities.
A Military Zone and a “Remembering Our Fallen” exhibit will be part of the PatriotFest celebration. The “Remembering Our Fallen” exhibit will provide information on each Oklahoma service member killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Last year’s Route 66 PatriotFest made $13,000, all of which was donated to the Folds of Honor, Cue said. This year, organizers plan to give the proceeds of the event to multiple military-related groups.
Route 66 PatriotFest is staffed by volunteers. Organizers are still looking for volunteers for this year’s event. People interested in volunteering can call Jo Lambert at 918-346-1585, or go online to http://www.route66patriotfest.com
