They say nearly 5,000 Illinois youths will lose work this month because of budget cuts. * Press release | Route 66 Named Honorary Grand Marshal of the 2026 Illinois State Fair Twilight Parade: The highway’s influence extends far beyond transportation. Route 66 has inspired bestselling books, classic songs, television series, and blockbuster films that introduced millions to the romance of the open road. From John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, which immortalized the highway as the “Mother Road,” to Bobby Troup’s iconic song “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66,” and Disney-Pixar’s Cars, generations have experienced the spirit of Route 66 through American popular culture. Many of those moments are captured in the Route 66 Experience, a self-guided educational exhibit located at Gate 2 on the Illinois State Fairgrounds.