The countdown is on for the Old-Fashioned Route 66 Jubilee in Carlinville, as a host of family-friendly activities themed to the 100th anniversary of the “Mother Road” burst into action on Friday, June 26, 2026 beginning with a parade watch at  11:00 a.m. 

 

Bring a lawn chair  to the south side of the courthouse to watch the Model A cars roll into town on old Route 66 past the Macoupin County Cannon Ball Jail and Courthouse. The Jubilee on Friday, 6-26-26 is one of the more significant events on the Mother Road this year and Carlinville has chosen to salute our zip code, 62626, and celebrate by taking a  look back at small town life in the past. 

 

Headliner music begins on the Courthouse lawn from  noon – 6:00 p.m. and kicks off with Chris Vallillo, an Illinois Humanities Road Scholar who tells the story of America and the Midwest through music.

 

“Music can really connect with people,” said Vallillo, a Macomb resident. “It’s a vehicle to tell a story, to explore a subject. I’m always excited at how many people talk to me after a performance, to tell me stories to connect them to the music.”

         

Originally an archaeologist, Vallillo says that music can reach people like few other mediums. He now plays 100-150 engagements a year, some as part of the Illinois Humanities Road Scholars program.

                

Vallillo’s appearance at the Jubilee will include a lot of acoustic guitar, including bottleneck slide guitar. Among other instruments, he will bring a 1936 resonator guitar and an 1890s skinhead banjo.

            

“I think that this kind of music reflects our heritage, and that’s as critical as ever,” remarked Vallillo. “We need to know where we came from and where we’re going, to preserve values and culture for generations and generations.” 

            

Another headliner for the Jubilee is Butch Moore of Glen Carbon, whose music integrates acoustic, blues, folk, country, reggae, and originals. Moore says he was influenced as a boy by “singing cowboys” like Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Butch and Paul Neihaus play from 2:00-4:00p.m. on the Heinz Jubilee Stage.

            

“Then when the Beatles came on the scene, I really wanted to play guitar,” Moore laughed. “I bought my first guitar at age 13 at Grandpa Pigeon’s for $29.99. I still have it.”

            

Since April 1985, Moore has hosted the Open Mic nights each Sunday at the Stagger Inn Again, an Edwardsville bar and restaurant that is a local institution. Still an active songwriter, Moore plays around 180 engagements each year, many of them in St. Louis, the Metro East, and southwestern Illinois.

            

He says the Jubilee audience can expect “a wide variety of Americana music, including the Beatles, Credence Clearwater Revival, Crosby, Stills, and Nash, original material, traditional blues, and traditional country music.” 

 

Also headlining is Devin C. Williams, who formerly lived in Girard, but is now based in Springfield. Williams will be on stage from 4 p.m.-6 p.m.

            

Originally a heavy metal artist, his music is influenced by Mississippi Delta blues of the pre-World War II era as well as his grandmother, who was also a preacher. “I grew up around old gospel music,” he said, “and the blues are always readily available.”

           

 In January, Williams finished second in the solo / duo division at the 41st International Blues Challenge in Memphis, recognizing him as one of the best solo performers in the blues industry.

            

He plays 200-300 shows a year, many of them in the Midwest and South. As he appears at the Jubilee, he will be just a few days removed from a two-week tour of Europe, including Belgium.

               

Williams is known for his unique one-man band approach, in which he plays guitar and sings while kicking a drum with his right foot and a tambourine with his left foot. “People who see my shows tell me how visually fun it is to watch,” he said. “The crowds really seem to like it.”

            

In addition, there will be an array of music jammers who will play from 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m.  near  the north steps of the Courthouse. Some have written original music about Route 66 that will be introduced to the public that day.

            

For book lovers, head to the Arts and Authors Tent for a variety of presentations including “Model A Fords on the Mother Road,” by Tom Emery, “Benld and the Booze Gang,” which is Jim Marcacci’s new release, “Coal Mines on the Prairie” by former Gillespie resident Harold Rauzi, and “The Real Mother Road” the Edwards Trace, by Anna Sielaff, Illinois Humanities Road Scholar.

 

Stop by the Writers Guild tent for “book talks” and discussions about their new creative works about Route 66.

 

Families and kids can check out the “Kids Zip Code Stage,” where children 4-12 can walk right up, check in, and sing on stage, tell a joke, or read a poem, story, or a few lines from a favorite book. It’s hosted by Becky Miller and Julie Close.

 

Gangsters and Flappers can dress up, have fun all day long, and try to win Starr Meat Bundles and up to $500 in cash prizes, with judging by crowd applause at 6:00 p.m. on the Heinz Jubilee Stage. Prizes are for best gangster, best flapper, and best couple or group. The emcee of the Jubilee, Dan St. Onge, will host the Elks Gangsters and Flappers contest. For questions, contact the Carlinville Elks Lodge.

 

Free PBJs will be donated by Carlinville Walmart. Stop by on the lawn between 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. near the “Kids Zip Code Stage.”

 

There will also be family-friendly, old-fashioned games with the Carlinville Park District, as well as fun with the Carlinville Methodist Church Croquet.

 

For the creative art side of kids, join the fun to help “Recreate the Mother Road”- the Edwards Trace. Contact Imagine Rural Arts with questions. Activity will be available from afternoon through early evening on the Courthouse lawn with live music nearby with Devin C. Williams.

         

 There’s also “Jail Bird Stories” by Bill McClain, who will be at the Cannonball Jail in the afternoon. To recommend locals for lock up in the Cannonball Jail to raise money for the WSMI Lock ‘em Up Public Art Fundraiser, contact Shawn Balint of WSMI Radio or Mary Tinder, Carlinville Winning Communities. Rumors say bread and water will be served to the jailbirds.

            

Attendees can also take a ride on the Macoupin County Historical Society Tractor Club’s people hauler for a short guided tour, down East Main Street and past the Sears Kit Homes neighborhoods before returning to all the fun for the Zip Code Day on 6-26-26. 

            

The fun continues in the evening on the square with a performance by the Carlinville Municipal Band at 6:26 p.m., ice cream from the Carlinville Rotary Club, and other activities throughout the night, sponsored by the Carlinville Chamber of Commerce.

 

All activities are free and we hope to see you at the Carlinville Route 66 Jubilee. For general questions, contact Carlinville City Hall at 217-854-4076.