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 Byway
Project Funds are to support events, marketing and advertising
efforts, and projects that help preserve the heritage of Illinois
Route 66 and promote travel to Illinois Route 66 communities and
sites. Byway Project Funds cannot be used for general operating or
construction expenses. Byway Project Funds range from $500-$1000 and
up to ten members may receive the funds.
Over the past couple of months, the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway
received many exceptional applications. One of the projects is not
ready to be announced to the public and will be revealed later. We
are announcing $6,000 to the following businesses:
Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor - $1,000 Classification:
Marketing
The Illinois Route 66 Red Carpet Corridor held its 15th Annual
Festival in May of 2022 and have begun preparations for the 16th
Annual Red Carpet Corridor Festival in 2023! The 12 communities
along these 80 miles of Illinois Route 66 have worked hard to
establish this linear festival. For most of these communities, it
has become the unofficial kickoff to road trip season. The intent of
the festival is to give travelers a taste of each Route 66 community
and encourage them to return when they have more time. Visitors are
enticed to stop in each of the 12 communities by having a "giveaway"
at each town. Giveaways are different every year but are always
related both to the individual community and Illinois Route 66.
Funding for the festival has typically come only from the
participating communities, with the majority going to the production
of the annual giveaway and the printing of the annual event specific
brochure and the leftover monies going to an ad buy. With a very
limited budget for more widespread advertising or marketing, the
leadership committee has tried to think of creative ways to help
promote the festival. As a result, it was decided rack cards that
could be distributed throughout the year at various locations around
the state would be an effective tool. 20,000 rack cards will be
produced and distributed to various Visitors Centers, DMOs, and TICs.
We will design the rack card to have a general description of the
festival that will stay relevant enough that it can be distributed
year after year, as opposed to our annual brochure which is very
festival specific and is out of date once the festival has ended.
These rack cards will help the festival reach a wider audience of
participants, encourage more regional travel on Illinois Route 66,
and increase awareness of the festival and the communities involved
year-round.
Best Western Plus Bloomington East Hotel - $1,000 Classification:
Beautification
Whether you’re traveling with the family or exploring Illinois on
your own, you’ll find a wealth of things to do around Chicago,
Springfield, and other cities around Illinois. Illinois has become a
popular destination for long weekend getaways and extended stay
trips that take you to Lake Michigan and unique attractions in the
southern part of the state.
From outdoor adventures to indoor attractions, enjoy a wealth of fun
and interesting activities around Illinois. Venture beyond Chicago
to explore some of the Midwest’s roadside attractions, historic
sites for a real taste of the Land of Lincoln.
Best
Western in Illinois provides clean and comfortable rooms to Route 66
travelers. This project is specific to the Best Western Plus
Bloomington East Hotel. Funds will enhance the landscape at the
entrance and install more EV stations. This will beautify the
property and provide more services to the travelers.
Springfield Lucky Horseshoes / Robin Roberts Stadium - $1,000
Classification: Beautification
Robin Roberts Stadium, formerly known as Reservoir Park and Lanphier,
has been the home of baseball in Springfield since 1925. The Stadium
has hosted many historic franchises, Senators, Red Birds, Cardinals,
Capitals and most recently, the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes. The
stadium seats over 5k people.
The funds will go towards the beautification of the newly created
beer garden within the stadium area. Since the team was rebranded in
February 2022, we have wanted to make as many improvements and
offerings to our fans as possible. We sell several local craft
beers, which our fans love. And we have started to create a space to
socialize. We had a dilapidated shed removed and the fence extended.
We added high top tables, built by a local Springfield carpenter.
The space needs some landscaping, seating and a bar before our fans
can thoroughly enjoy.
Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66 - $1,000 Classification:
Marketing
The Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66, a 501c3 nonprofit
organization, is committed to preserving the rich history and
contributions of musicians, performers and industry leaders who have
impacted the music world and embodied the creative spirit of
Illinois. We strive to inform, engage, and inspire our visitors
through exhibits and programs that draw upon a diversity of
cultures, history, and musical influence.
The Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66 is dedicated to
supporting local musicians, performers, and others in the music
industry and performing arts in the form of scholarships and
donations. The Museum also has strong potential to provide the City
of Joliet with the opportunity to benefit from strong revenue
generation. The Museum will provide positive economic impact
resulting from increased tourism dollars spent in the region,
funding from corporate sponsorship, donor contributions, advertising
opportunities, and new tourism partnerships. It is our intention to
inform and entertain guests as they explore 15,000 square feet of
space within the Museum to learn about music history through
exhibits that are immersive and interactive. We have put together an
exciting music program providing a space to explore and learn from
the masters who will lend their expertise to each program to inspire
a new generation of creators and performers. The museum will offer
hands on access to instruments and other tools of the trade with
opportunities to attend workshops and special sessions with guest
professionals.
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The Byway project funds will be used to design,
produce and distribute 35,000 rack cards to Illinois CVBs, Tl Cs and
DMOs. The distribution of the 35,000 rack cards will bring awareness
of this new Illinois tourist destination throughout the state which
will further encourage Illinois travel by Illinoisans and recipients
of the CVBs, TICs, and DMOs efforts. Not only will the distribution
of these rack cards by the above-mentioned organizations bring
awareness to the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66 but also
while visiting the museum how the Mother Road played a part in the
evolution of Illinois music.
Atlanta Public Library District - Palms Grill,
Clock Tower, and Museum - $1,000 Classification: Awning restoration
/ Beautification
First organized as an entity of city government in the mid-late
1800s, the Atlanta Library was housed in several different locations
before construction began on its new building in 1907. The library
building was fully funded by donations from Atlanta's citizens and
quickly became a focal point in the community, of which it still is
today.
The Atlanta Public Library now owns the Downey
Building which houses the Palms Grill Cafe, the Atlanta Museum, and
the Route 66 Arcade Museum; as well as a crafting space for
programming, and a ballroom space that is available to rent for
parties and other gatherings.
In 1973, the library helped begin the Atlanta Museum to preserve
Atlanta's history. Originally housed in the basement of the Library,
the Museum moved to the Downey building in 2009. This addition gave
the Museum the opportunity to expand its collection department and
showcase more exhibits. Today, visitors can learn about the history
of Atlanta's one room schoolhouses and the Atlanta High School,
Abraham Lincoln's time in Atlanta, and several businesses and events
that, while they are no longer here, had a lasting impact on the
community.
Next door to the Atlanta Museum is the Palms Grill Cafe. The Palms
Grill Cafe is one of the Mother Road's premier Route 66 attractions.
Originally opened in 1934, "the Grill" served home-cooked meals,
bingo games, and weekly dances in its backroom. The Grill closed in
the late 1960s.
After being restored to its circa 1935 look, the Palms Grill Cafe
reopened on April 1, 2009, and again began serving its blue-plate
specials to Route 66 travelers and visitors. Bus tours, senior
groups, and individuals young & old from across the country and
globe, have all been welcomed to the Palms Grill Cafe over the past
several years. After closing in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
The Palms Grill Cafe reopened its doors in June of 2022-this time as
a bakery, Missy's Sweet Shoppe.
The Palms Grill Cafe's famous neon sign and green and white striped
awnings have been a welcoming sight to Route 66 tourists and locals
alike throughout the years. While it has been operating under a new
tenant and not quite the way history remembers it, The Grill - now a
bakery, Missy's Sweet Shoppe, still desires to be a welcoming stop
along the United States' Mother Road, Route 66. With the purchase of
new awnings, the Atlanta Public Library District hopes to provide a
refreshed, but nostalgic, appearance to the Palms Grill Cafe once
again.
City of Atlanta Tourism - $1,000 Classification: Mural
restoration
Inside Route 66 Park, on the corner of Arch and Race Street, right
on the 1924 Route 66 alignment, memories from Atlanta's past come to
life. There is the iconic bubbler fountain, former Atlanta Fair
ticket booth, Knights of Pythias marker, and more mementos from
Atlanta's past. Route 66 is a major piece of Atlanta's past,
present, and future. Showcasing the importance of Route 66 is a 20
ft long mural on aluminum substrate displayed on a massive wooden
frame. This is the centerpiece of Route 66 Park. The mural on
display is 20 years old and has greatly faded due to the sun and its
location in the park. Even faded, it is still the second most
photographed spot in Atlanta (following the Bunyon Giant). The mural
depicts Atlanta- corn, farm, car, Route 66- while highlighting its
geographic location midway from Chicago to St. Louis.
Funds from the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway award
will be used to create a new mural to replace the faded one.
Illinois State University's Design Streak Studio designed new
graphics for the City of Atlanta, Tourism to use last Fall. We will
be replacing the current mural, faded and outdated design wise, with
one designed by ISU. Due to the sun fading issue, we will be
wrapping the aluminum substrate with the design. The Great Display
Company in Bloomington will do the sign wrap. Their wraps last 10
years and are UV coated to protect from sun damage. This will
provide a nice photo opportunity for tourists. Through the
interactive signage on the African American experience in Atlanta,
we will attract more tourists to Atlanta and increase the time and
increased spending in our community.
“Once again, we are excited to announce that the Illinois Route 66
Scenic Byway will be awarding $6,000 in Byway Project Funds to
members. There are many benefits to being a member of the Byway, and
the Byway Project Funds is one of them. Byway Project Funds gives
members the opportunity to receive funding for an upcoming project
or event; one of the most important goals of the Byway is to be able
to assist our members financially. As our membership program
continues to grow, so does the amount of funds we are able to award
our members” said Casey Claypool, Executive Director.
[Geoff Ladd
Assistant Director
Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway]
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