Route 66 Festival Highlights Oklahoma Music Heritage
Music, bbq and more will once again fill Main Street in Miami, Okla., as plans for the Third Annual Route 66 Heritage Fest get underway.
The event, which spans Friday and Saturday, July 28 and 29, features six bands – including a line-up of hometown favorites; a car and bike show designed to fill the street with a plethora of wheels, and the smells and tastes found at the second Smokin’ on the Route, a sanctioned Kansas City Barbeque Society (KCBS) competition.
This year’s festival, presented by Modoc Nation, features newcomers Dead Metal Society and 6 Foot Landing, along with the return of Miami natives Kiefer Thompson of Thompson Square and Keith Anderson, and the area bands, The Websters and Backwood County.
“We’re excited about this year’s stage line-up,” explained Amanda Davis, Miami CVB executive director. “This year we’re focusing on six bands, rather than eight, in order to give each group additional playing time.”
Davis said feedback from surveys conducted after last year’s festival led the committee to branch away from country music and explore some different options.
“We listened to the feedback from the community and one of the points of interest consistent in the surveys was the ask for a bit more of a rock presence in the line up,” Davis explained. “The committee is excited to bring that to the stage with the addition of Dead Metal Society.”
Dead Metal Society, considered one of the region’s premiere 1980s hair band, will headline Friday night’s concerts, alongside local favorites The Websters and Backwood County.
“The Dead Metal Society band has a great following and they came highly recommended by other event venues around the Four-State region,” Davis said. “Their music features everything 80s metal is known for, including hot solos, vocals and drums.”
Saturday’s lineup opens with 6 Foot Landing, a post grunge/classic rock/Oklahoma red dirt band developed by friends during their college days at Northeastern State Oklahoma in Tahlequah.
“The continued support and investments our partners make as they join forces with the city is something that makes this event continue to grow,” Davis said. “Their support allows us to provide this event for free, not only Miamians but to those driving in from across the region.”
Miami natives Thompson Square and Keith Anderson return as Saturday’s key performers. Anderson, a staple of country music, will open for the American country music husband and wife duo of Kiefer and Shawna Thompson.
Both Anderson and Kiefer Thompson are graduates of Miami High School. Their musical roots can trace back to their days as a celebrated Miami Wardog.
The festival will once again include vendors and food trucks, and a beer garden lining Main Street and the nearby side streets throughout the festival. Participants are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
For more information, persons interested may contact Visit Miami Oklahoma at 918.542.4435, visit www.visitmiamiok.com, or find the festival on Facebook @miamiok66fest. Sponsorships and vendor booths are still available at this time.
