Area residents looking for a fun family day of entertainment should visit the Edwardsville Route 66 Festival starting tonight through Saturday evening.
The festival is held in conjunction with Route 66 Blue Carpet Corridor Weekend, which consists of 18 area 
communities.
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The festival opens tonight in City Park and Downtown Edwardsville areas with music by “Gone Country” at 6:30 p.m. and “Well Hungarians” at 9 p.m. The Metro Milers 10K Run is set for 8 a.m. on Saturday in Downtown Edwardsville.
Katie Grable of the Edwardsville Park and Recreation Department, said the event will go on, rain or shine.
Grable said the Route 66 Festival is a way for the city to give back to the community and its residents to provide a family weekend.
“The people seem to really enjoy it,” she said of the festival. “We really appreciate our support and sponsors.
It is a little different, we have several carnivals and those are great, but this is good for families and little kids. We have a focus on art vendors, good food and really good bands.”
Food, beverage and art vendors will be open to the public, along with a children’s area starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
At 12:30 p.m. Saturday, “Babaloo” will perform, followed by “Happenstance” at 2:30 p.m.
Classic cars will start assembling for a cruise at 3 p.m. in the Cassens and MCT lots. At 4 p.m. Saturday “Hurricane Ruth” will perform and the classic car show will begin.
The classic car cruise begins at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday.
At 9:30 p.m., “Dr. Zhivegas,” the headliner band, will perform.
The Goshen Community Market will be open in downtown Edwardsville from 8 a.m. to noon.
The Edwardsville Youth Police Academy helps coordinate the car event and uses it as a fund-raiser. Several non-profit groups serve as vendors at the festival and also use the event as a fund-raiser.
Grable encouraged residents to have their lunch and dinner at the festival because most of the money does go toward the non-profits and their missions.
Grable said all the departments within the City of Edwardsville work to coordinate and execute the Route 66 Festival.
