Downtown business owners pen letter critical of Route 66 Festival

Last edited 3:48 p.m., Oct. 11, 2024 [Editor's note: Comment from one of the event organizers has been added.]

An annual event that draws tens of thousands of people to downtown Springfield has adversely impacted small businesses operating in the area, according to a letter signed by dozens of company operators.

The letter takes issue with the Birthplace of Route 66 Festival, which celebrates the Queen City's connection to the Mother Road in August each year with car shows, concerts and other entertainment.

An original copy of the letter, available here, was provided this morning to Springfield Business Journal by Michelle Billionis, owner of The Coffee Ethic LLC and one of the businesspeople who signed the letter. She also confirmed the authenticity of a letter published this morning by the Springfield Daily Citizen that shows signatures by the owners of myriad downtown ventures such as The MudLounge, J.O.B. Public House, Prairie Pie, Civil Kitchen, Finnegan's Wake, Nonna's, Jack Ball & Associates Architects PC and 417 Taphouse, among others.

"While we understand events such as this can be beneficial to our community and are meant to bring people together, this particular event has unintended consequences on small businesses that can no longer be ignored," the letter reads. "Since the event began, we have experienced a negative impact on nearly every business in the downtown area. This has not only affected our daily operations but also our overall revenue and ability to serve our customers."

The letter states that business owners have "seen road closures occur earlier each year, causing a drastic reduction in customer traffic and sales."

Those who signed the letter say they are interested in working with the Route 66 Festival organizers to discuss solutions. Organizers have included the city of Springfield, Aaron Sachs & Associates PC, KY3/KSPR/CW, the Downtown Springfield Association and the West Central Neighborhood Alliance, city officials have said in past correspondence.

"We would appreciate the opportunity to discuss these matters further to collaborate on finding solutions that work for everyone involved," the letter reads.

Rusty Worley, president of the Downtown Springfield Association, this morning told SBJ that the event organizers are receptive to the business owners' concerns and would work to have discussions with them.

"I met with a group of business owners on Tuesday and heard their concerns," he said. "I think there's a lot of things that will be looked to change for 2025."

One potential change may be adding more members, including downtown business owners, to the planning committee for the event, he said.

Cora Scott, spokesperson for the city of Springfield and festival steering committee member, said via email that the Route 66 Festival "elicits significant community pride" and provides an "economic benefit to the area."

"That said, if downtown businesses are experiencing reduced revenue during the festival, that is something we want to address right away. A primary reason for having the festival downtown, is to shore up the image of downtown and hopefully encourage people who have never visited downtown for whatever reason, to come learn how vibrant and cool it is," Scott said. "The planners of this festival have always been very open to changes to the two-and-a-half day event and have consistently hosted meetings with downtown stakeholders to help improve it for everyone. I apologize if they have not felt heard."