John Paget’s feature-length documentary celebrates the enduring towns and everyday heroes carrying the story of Route 66 forward.
CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, July 28, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — One hundred years after Route 66 first connected communities across America, a new feature-length documentary invites audiences to discover the people and places keeping its story alive.
ROUTE 66: THE MAIN STREET OF AMERICA, a documentary by award-winning filmmaker John Paget, begins its Roadshow on September 1, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois, the starting point of Route 66. This rolling premiere will travel more than 2,400 miles through the eight Route 66 states, concluding in Los Angeles, California, November 7, 2026.
The Main Street of America Roadshow will bring the film directly to the communities that define Route 66. Each stop will center around a screening followed by live conversations with Paget and people featured in the film, offering audiences an opportunity to connect with the stories shaping Route 66 today.
ROUTE 66: THE MAIN STREET OF AMERICA is a centennial portrait that travels the Mother Road, revealing a modern revival. From unexpected roadside attractions to revitalized main streets, each encounter reveals communities finding new life and purpose—making new history—proving the most meaningful journeys often unfold on the road less traveled.
Explore the depths with deep sea divers in a desert oasis. Meet a family in Luther, Oklahoma, restoring one of America’s earliest Black-owned gas stations. Mix with a couple who decided it was high time someone made bourbon in a town called Bourbon. Find trees made from bottles. And a ghost town that somehow became a flower farm.
Whether you’ve driven Route 66 or only imagined it, this film takes you there to meet the everyday heroes that are bringing motels, diners, theaters and souvenir shops, filling stations, a prison, and a steam train— quirky landmarks and hidden gems—back to life. An immersive, heartfelt portrait of this American icon emerges full of humor, warmth, and discovery.
“Route 66 has always been about more than pavement—it’s about people,” said John Paget, director of ROUTE 66: THE MAIN STREET OF AMERICA. “Route 66 is not simply about what has been preserved. It’s about what people are still building. In every town, we met people who believe history is more than something to remember—it’s something that inspires what comes next.”
As Route 66 celebrates its centennial, the film looks beyond nostalgia to explore the resilience, creativity, and determination of the people carrying America’s Main Street forward.
“My hope is that this film inspires people to see Route 66 as a story still being written,” said Paget. “The next chapter will be shaped by the people who believe these places—and these stories—still matter.”
Designated an Official Project of the U.S. Route 66 Centennial Commission, the film has garnered support from national and community partners committed to preserving, celebrating, and promoting The Main Street of America.
Bill Thomas, Chair of the Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership and Commissioner for the Route 66 Centennial Commission said, “One of the greatest challenges facing Route 66 isn’t preserving its past—it’s inspiring the people who will protect its future. This documentary does both.”
Rhys Martin, Preserve Route 66 Manager for the National Trust for Historic Preservation said, “Route 66 has always connected people and communities, so it’s fitting that this documentary will be experienced the same way—one town at a time. Following every screening, filmmaker John Paget and folks featured in the film will hold live Q&A sessions where people can share their own memories, perspectives, and hopes for the future.
“When the road celebrates 200 years, people won’t just want to know the road’s origin story—they’ll want to know how people engaged with it at this historic moment. The roadshow will capture that living history while reminding audiences that every generation has a role to play in the future of Route 66. That’s what makes this such a special project; it’s not just preserving what’s come before but inviting the public to become stewards of the road’s ongoing story.”
2026 Route 66 Centennial Roadshow
The ROUTE 66: THE MAIN STREET OF AMERICA Centennial Roadshow will bring the documentary directly to the communities that have shaped the history—and continue shaping the story—of Route 66.
Beginning September 1 in Chicago and concluding November 7 in Los Angeles, the Roadshow will feature more than 40 screening events across Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
Confirmed premiere events include:
September 1 — Global Premiere at The Art Institute of Chicago
September 11 — Missouri State Premiere at Hi-Pointe Theatre
September 18 — Oklahoma State Premiere at Circle Cinema
September 25 — Texas State Premiere at Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts
October 1 — New Mexico State Premiere at KiMo Theatre
October 10 — Arizona State Premiere at The Orpheum Theater
October 23 — California State Premiere at California Theater
November 7 — Centennial Roadshow Finale at Los Angeles Theatre
Additional community screenings will take place throughout the Route 66 corridor.
For the complete screening schedule and ticket information, visit: www.MainStreetofAmerica.com
Notes to Editors:
About the Film
ROUTE 66: THE MAIN STREET OF AMERICA is a feature-length documentary directed by John Paget celebrating the centennial of America’s most legendary highway. Through the stories of entrepreneurs, preservationists, community leaders, and everyday heroes, the film captures the resilience, creativity, and enduring spirit of the people and places carrying Route 66 forward.
Gemma Long
Gem PR & Media, Inc.
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