The portion of the event at Living Word Church began with Route 66 Roadside Park engagement and community history displays, with the Presentation involving a welcome message from Mayor Bowlin, words of support from Rockwood School District, a performance from the Lafayette High School A Cappella Choir, Vox Solus, a general history of the road provided by Joe Sonderman of the Route 66 Association of Missouri, and a presentation from City Staff on the potential opportunities for revitalizing Wildwood’s Original Route 66 Corridor.
The event ended at Big Chief Roadhouse, a Route 66 National Landmark, with attendees primarily congregating in an upstairs Speakeasy, where the owners generously provided a wine tasting in support of the effort. A particularly symbolic moment took place when Historic Preservation Commissioner, Jim Hrubes, took a photograph with “Lucky” of Lucky Dog Central, a new business in Wildwood located on the historic corridor, just outside of Big Chief.