Buses, cars and more for special Route 66 'Red Carpet' event

A combination of new and old on display at the Odell Standard Station during the Red Carpet Corridor Fest.

Visitors to Central Illinois enjoyed a cool but sunny weekend to travel down Route 66 during the annual Red Carpet Corridor Festival.

Buses transformed into campers, known as “Skoolies,” converged on downtown Pontiac for the festivities. Phillip Strange of Colorado brought his 1987 Ford Econo van which has been converted.

“It’s fully self-sufficient with anything you need,” Strange explained.

The Skoolie convention in Pontiac included any style of living such as RV’s, tents or vans. Strange describes the Skoolies as a family away from home, giving people the chance to socialize, enjoy life and simply have fun. Around 30 different rigs were in Pontiac and some will go on a Route 66 trip to California while others will go separate ways.

Just up the highway a few miles, Ken Howard of Dwight was spotted with his 1923 Model T parked at the Odell Standard Station. He bought the vintage automobile at auction in Indiana 12 years ago.

“I did mechanical work on it,” said Howard.

While Howard is not sure how many total miles his car has on it, he estimates that he puts 300 miles a year on it. Wherever he drives it to, people seem to have questions about it and want to know more information.

Route 66 towns from Joliet to Bloomington-Normal featured different activities and attractions for the annual “Red Carpet Corridor” festival which is always held the first weekend in May.

This is a big year for the highway since it is the 100^th anniversary of what is referred to as the “mother road.”

Buses known as "Skoolies" are parked in downtown Pontiac Saturday during the Red Carpet Corridor Festival.