The St. James Chamber of Commerce is planning the 100th anniversary celebration of Historic Route 66 through the community.

Executive Director Kelly Money talked about plans regarding the festivities.

“A billboard will be put near the exit ramp (Exit 195 on I-44 West) and will feature Johnnie’s Bar and Grill and will have a faded Route 66 picture of St. James,” said Money.

The tourism center will have a Route 66 photo-op on its lawn, and has designed Route 66 stickers and postcards that they plan on sending to the printer.

The St. James Visitors Center also features literature pieces advertising the businesses in the community that are not Route 66 themed, but are preparing for visitors.

“It’s not Route 66 themed, but we’re going to get that traffic, and we want people to come visit our businesses,” said Money.

There are two big events that the chamber plans to focus the theme around, the St. James Sip n’ Savor on May 2, and the Grape and Fall Festival scheduled for Sept. 10-12 will also be dedicated to the anniversary of the Mother Road.

“The chamber plans on contacting people for old classic cars on the street, find some food vendors, kind of world fair style,” said Money. “This is our 15th year doing it, it’s kind of like our wine and craft beer festival.”

St. James has a rich wine history.

“The Grape and Fall Festival is almost in its 100th year, and we are definitely going to make that Route 66 themed,” said Money.

This year’s Grape and Fall Festival will be its 92nd anniversary, and the chamber has announced a partnership with the city. 

The chamber plans on merging the Grape and Fall Festival logo with the Route 66 brand.

Money is going to encourage businesses near downtown to participate in a window decorating contest to support the theme.

Ashley Weaver, an archivist at the State Historical Society of Missouri Rolla Research Center, was contacted about St. James’ Route 66 heritage.

"Much of original Route 66 still exists in St. James today, though it is now known by other names like the South Outer Road or West Ramp Road and East James Boulevard,” wrote Weaver.

“The divided portion of West James Boulevard near Johnnie’s Bar and Grill, an original Route 66 business that dates to 1929, when it was called The Commercial Café, with the planting down the center, is thought to be the first divided highway section on Route 66; definitely in the state of Missouri, but most likely along the entire route. Much of the original highway has been demolished either in early attempts to straighten the highway or during the creation of I-44 in the 1960s. Part of what makes Route 66 in St. James so unique is the amount of original road that still passes through town.”

St. James’ highway heritage and the chamber’s events are expected to be a common theme throughout the year.