Between a birthday bash 100 years in the making, two global sporting events and an NBA franchise on the rise, Oklahoma is the place to visit.
by PAT TY RASMUSSEN
Route 66 is considered the most famous highway in American pop culture. Immortalized in song, “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66,” and in the 1960s television show “Route 66,” it was nicknamed ‘The Mother Road’ by author John Steinbeck in his novel, “The Grapes of Wrath.” It was even featured in Disney’s Pixar animated movie, “Cars.”
‘A Bucket List Item’
This year, Oklahomans get their chance to lavish affection on Route 66 as the famed highway celebrates its 100th anniversary as one of the original highways in the U.S. Numbered Highway System.
Established on November 11, 1926, Route 66 includes more than 400 miles within Oklahoma, more than any other state along the highway. That’s thanks to Cyrus Avery, Oklahoma’s first highway commissioner, who was a leader on the national committee that created the U.S. Highway System. He argued vigorously for the Chicago-to-Los Angeles route that turned south into Oklahoma before rolling west through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
The Route 66 Centennial celebration includes a series of events, beginning in April and ending with a final celebration on November 11. The biggest event is likely to be the Capital Cruise on May 30.
“Tulsa is trying to break a Guinness World Record for the most classic cars in a parade,” says Rhys Martin, executive director of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association. “That number is 3,000, and they are at 2,400. They have 24 different states [represented] and a few drivers from Canada who have signed up already.”
Another highly anticipated event is the arrival of the Route 66 Centennial Caravan, a rolling celebration of the iconic highway, which leaves Santa Monica on June 6 and arrives in Chicago on June 25. It will take three days to cross Oklahoma, arriving in Oklahoma City on June 17, driving to Tulsa on June 18, and moving on to Joplin, Missouri, on June 19. While the Caravan is stopped in Oklahoma on the 18th, the group will unveil a new Will Rogers Highway marker. More than 100,000 people are expected to drive Route 66 this year because of the Centennial.
“This is a bucket list item,” says Martin.
Hosting the World
Over the past two years, sports tourism has generated more than $250 million in economic impact for the state. But several upcoming events are offering the state the chance to strut its stuff on a global stage. The 2028 Olympic Games are coming to Oklahoma. Well, some of them.
In a strategic move emphasizing sustainability, the Los Angeles 2028 Organizing Committee partnered with Oklahoma City to host the Women’s Softball and Men’s and Women’s Canoe Slalom (Kayak, Canoe Single, and Kayak Cross) events at two world-class venues in Oklahoma City: Devon Park and the OKC Whitewater Center.
Devon Park seats 13,000, making it the world’s largest softball-specific stadium. It hosts the NCAA Women’s College World Series annually, along with other national and international events. Similarly, the OKC Whitewater Center is an established watersports venue, serving as the official training site for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Whitewater teams and hosting numerous national and international events, including the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2016 and 2024.
More than 170 Olympic athletes will live in Oklahoma City during the two-week competition. Oklahoma City University will serve as the athletes’ home base, a satellite Olympic Village where they will live and train while in Oklahoma. The LA28 Organizing Committee praised the Oklahoma City community for its enthusiastic hospitality.
“LA28 recognizes that the Oklahoma City community has consistently supported top events for both sports and is confident that they will for these Olympic competitions as well,” the LA28 Committee said in a statement.
A FIFA Base Camp
Three sites in Oklahoma were among the 62 potential Team Base Camps for the FIFA World Cup 2026, which takes place in North America in June and July 2026. Team Base Camps serve as a World Cup team’s home away from home, providing living quarters and training space — often away from prying eyes — between the grind of travel and high-profile World Cup matches. Team Base Camp sites undergo an extensive vetting process with FIFA that assesses the quality of training facilities and local amenities, and the ease of access to travel to one or more of the 16 host cities throughout North America.
Two training sites in Oklahoma City were selected: The Skirvin Hilton Hotel, paired with the OKC Professional Soccer Training Facility, and the Fordson Hotel, paired with the University of Oklahoma training facility. The third site, in Norman, is the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, paired with the FC Tulsa professional football training facility.
Thunder Struck
In 2025, the Oklahoma City Thunder fulfilled the dreams of its fan base by winning the NBA Championship after a thrilling season and an equally thrilling postseason, culminating in a 103-91 victory over the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
The city threw a blowout parade on June 24 to celebrate the achievement. With unabashed enthusiasm, Mayor David Holt invited everyone to attend, stating, “The day of the parade will forever live in the annals of our city’s history. It is a celebration of our team’s historic accomplishment and our city’s renaissance.”
The Thunder are a young team, expected to dominate for years to come, with draft picks aplenty to help build depth. A defensive powerhouse, the Thunder plays in front of sellout crowds — no surprise there — at the Paycom Center, adjacent to the Bricktown district in downtown Oklahoma City. Could another parade be in the works for 2026? Let’s just say, Thunder Up, OKC!