Dear City of Kingman, dear Mayor, dear Vice Mayor, dear City Manager, dear City Council Members:
So, they say nothing, they speak nothing, we hear crickets, they have crawled under a rock, our city officials are hiding. We, the merchants, the business people of our downtown are insignificant, meaningless pawns in their game of hide and seek, refusing to come out publicly and disclose to the downtown merchants and the City of Kingman why they think holding the most important, the most signficant even of the year, especially this year and next with the Centennial of Route 66, in a park 2.3 miles away from downtown, rather than in our $7.7 million newly renovated and acclaimed downtown.
The date is rolling up on us fast and furious for the 2025 and 2026 route 66 Fests. We have written to you, courteously and respectfully on numerous occasions, the most recent of which we asked you respectfully to please advise us, the citizens of Kingman, the tourists, the visitors from all over the world, why you will not communicate with us and let us all know, why you would even remotely consider holding our Route 66 Fest again in Lewis Park, a.k.a. Dog park, why you would even consider doing that instead of holding it in our beautiful new $7.7 million award winning downtown Kingman.
All we got back was the sound of crickets, meaning nothing, not even the courtesy of a response, not the courtesy of a phone call, not the courtesy of an invitation to come and make a special presentation to the city council as was provided to Josh Noble for a 30-45-minute slide presentation. Is that the way our City Council and our City Leaders respond to their citizens and business people who have signed a petition requesting that the 66 Fest be held downtown? 100% of them want the ROUTE 66 FEST held down. Why don’t you respond? Kingman’s Route 66 Fest is not represented in a park 2.3 miles away from our downtown. Ok, so what, it’s on Andy Devein / Route 66. Downtown Kingman runs also right along Andy Devine/Route 66.
Guests, visitors, tourists, locals, when they come to Kingman, they come to downtown. They want to visit the Bonelli House, they want to visit the train museum. They want to visit Locomotive Park and the train. They want to visit the Powerhouse and Metcalfe Park and the old courthouse, they want to stroll Beale Street.
We should not now or ever block off these hidden treasures of our history and legacy by holding major events like the Route 66 Fest in Lewis park. Guests, visitors, locals, tourists, do not want to check out how long the grass is, whether the little bit of pavement that is up there is smooth or not, whether there is shade or not, or on wrong direction wind days, smell dog poop. That’s not what they want.
They want to come downtown and we know this because history has proven that the park is a destination place, where people go, park, go into the park, where they may enjoy the minimal amusements provided, spend their money with the vendors that are there, most of whom come from out of town, as we all know, and then get back in their cars and go about their daily affairs. They do not get back in their cars and drive to downtown Kingman to eat more or spend more in the local shops. The shuttle services that have been offered in the past several years have been dismal failures as the entire event has been at Lewis park.
So, come on, City of Kingman. Get with the program please. Honor your downtown merchants. Honor your downtown restaurants bars, wineries and breweries. Do the right thing and hold the most important and most major event of the year in Kingman in downtown Kingman right smack dab on Route 66, representing Kingman’s history and legacy.
No other city or town on the entire route 66 run from Chicago to Santa Monica holds their event, their annual Route 66 event in a park 2-3 miles away from their downtown. No, they do not do that. They hold it in their downtown, to show off their downtown and to support the local downtown merchants, which provide shelter should inclement weather appear. Downtown provides good food, good drink, great entertainment, fabulous merchants, all within walking distance on our beautiful new $7.7 million downtown Beale street.
What in the world is the matter with us even thinking of holding an event like the ROUTE 66 FEST anywhere else other than in downtown Kingman? Let’s get this thing done.
Jack Alexander
Thunder-Rode Motorcycle Accessories
Dear Jack,
First, I want to acknowledge the passion in your message and the care you clearly have for our community and the vibrancy of Downtown Kingman. Your commitment to preserving and promoting our historic core is commendable, and I share in your love for our city and all that makes it special.
As a fellow business owner in Downtown Kingman, I appreciate your advocacy, but I’d like to offer a different perspective. While I agree that downtown is a remarkable and revitalized space, one we’re all proud of, it’s important to recognize that not every downtown business or owner feels the same way about the Route 66 Fest needing to be held exclusively downtown. The idea that 100% of downtown supports this position is simply not accurate.
Many of us understand and respect the City’s decision to host the Route 66 Fest in Lewis Kingman Park. That park is also part of our community’s Route 66 corridor and offers ample space, parking, and flexibility for large-scale events that our downtown, for all its beauty, simply cannot always accommodate safely or logistically, especially with the scale we’re projecting for the events in 2025 and 2026.
That said, our downtown continues to thrive with a rich calendar of events throughout the year, First Fridays, car shows, parades, and festivals, all of which bring energy and foot traffic to our businesses. I personally am grateful to the City of Kingman and to our amazing community for supporting downtown not just during one event, but consistently and generously, throughout the seasons.
I would encourage you and others who are deeply passionate, to consider organizing an additional Route 66-themed event specifically in the heart of downtown. Our community is big enough, and our history deep enough, to celebrate Route 66 in more than one meaningful way. There’s room for creative leadership and initiative, and I believe you could spearhead something truly special.
Finally, I want to express my sincere thanks to the City of Kingman. As a downtown business owner, I see their ongoing efforts to support economic development, foster tourism, and balance the needs of multiple neighborhoods and business districts. It’s not an easy job, and I applaud their work and their vision.
Jack, your voice matters. And so do the voices of others who see things differently. That’s the beauty of a healthy community, we can disagree passionately, yet still work together with mutual respect and a shared love for Kingman.
With appreciation,
Jason Millin