06/25/2026
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62626 Jubilee Guide: Schedule of Events
By RUTH GILL
Enquirer~Democrat Reporter
The countdown is on for the Old-Fashioned Route 66 Jubilee in Carlinville. There will be a massive event on the Macoupin County Courthouse lawn in the afternoon, and evening activities around the city square on 6-26-26, which is the Carlinville zip code day. (Friday, June 26, 2026). From noon till 6 p.m., several old-fashioned themed activities will be held on the west side lawn of the Courthouse, and then more festivities will take place on the Square from 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
The fun begins at 11 a.m., Friday, on the lawn with a parade, watch for the Model A cars and historic trucks who will pass by before noon heading to the Jubilee, which is, according to Sheriff Shawn Kahl, “a picnic type atmosphere for families on the Courthouse lawn, the way it used to be.”
The cars and trucks will pass by the South side of the Courthouse on their way into town, hoping to arrive at the City Square at the sound of the noon whistle, which signals the start of the Jubilee. A former Carlinville resident, Doug Brockhouse, will be driving his Model A and bringing along members of the St. Louis Model A Restorers Club to launch the Celebration of 100 years on the Mother Road, Route 66. “This is a fun thing to do, but timing is going to keep us all guessing, with Model A’s driving to Carlinville from St Louis, who will be doing their best to arrive on time,” said Bobbi Bates, City of Carlinville, and one of the event organizers. The local Police will provide an es**rt into town, and the parade of cars and trucks will drive to the Courthouse area, park, and be on display during the afternoon Jubilee.
Hats Boots and Pearl Snaps will sing their brand of music from 11 a.m. -12 p.m., entertaining the crowd who waits and watches as the parade of cars and trucks passes on Old Route 66 between the Courthouse and Cannonball Jail. Everyone is asked to bring their lawn chairs and plan to move them around to their favorite spot as the day goes on.
The Jubilee Emcee, Dan St Onge, and Mayor Downey will welcome the community at “Home Base” on the West side of the Courthouse lawn as the cars and trucks park.
Music gets lively at 12:30 p.m. on the Heinz Jubilee Stage with Road Scholar singer-storyteller Chris Vallillo, who will perform till 2 p.m. The 2 - 4 p.m. performance will be by Butch Moore and Paul Neihaus, well-known musicians from the Edwardsville area. From 4 p.m. - 6 pm, Devan C. Williams, 2nd runner-up in his region at the International Blues Festival, will be back in the US after a recent tour abroad, to rock the stage with his resonator guitar, cigar box guitar, soulful sounds, and a beat that will leave you wanting more.
Music Jammers from Gillespie and Kincaid jam groups will be performing from noon to 1 p.m., or possibly longer if there are requests. This event will be located near the North steps of the Courthouse, near the Rotary food tent. Greg Vocks of Kincaid will be performing the Carlinville 62626 song he wrote for the Jubilee in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Mother Road, Route 66. Several other members of the jam groups who are songwriters will include Charlie Wayman of Gillespie and Larry and Ali Moreau of the “Just Friends” band, both of whom play in central Illinois. These “Songwriters in the Round” will amaze you with the variety and talent that represent the Gillespie and Greg Volks Barn jam groups. Larry Moreau is your host, with Carlinville and local Carlinville player Gene Hutson providing the sound system.
The Carlinville Plaza Arts & Authors tent will be set up on the East lawn with presentations from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Tom Emery will be present at 1 p.m. with his book, “Model A Fords on the Mother Road,” Jim Marcacci will be at 2 p.m. with “Benld and the Booze Gang,” at 3 p.m., Harold Rauzi will have his book, “Coal Mines on the Prairie” and at 4 p.m., Anna Sielaff, (Illinois Humanities Road Scholar) will have her book “The Real Mother Road- the Edwards Trace.” Each author has ties to Macoupin County and will have their published books for sale.
For more book lovers appeal, the Writers Guild regional authors will be on the West lawn throughout the day for book talks and conversations about their individual books and the book they wrote together for the Jubilee Celebration. A collection of Route 66-themed essays is a good way to describe this event, said member and author Dave Ambrose of Carlinville.
The Carlinville Park District and United Methodist Church will provide old-fashioned games for families, such as red rover and duck, duck, goose, and a full croquet court will be set up on the West lawn all afternoon.
The “Kids Zip Code Stage” – “first time up,” which will be held from 1 - 4 p.m., is a chance for kids 4 - 12 to hear their voice on the microphone as a performer. They can sing a song, read a poem, tell a joke, or read a few lines from their favorite book. Julie Close and Becky Miller are hosting this event and will even help teach a song to a small group of kids to perform. You will not want to miss the Kids 62626 Zip Code stage on the West lawn.
WSMI will be present and broadcasting the “John Michael Show” with Shawn Balint, on-site on the lawn near the Cannonball Jail area. The radio hosts, known for their “cut-in” style of conversation, will add to the fun, and radio listeners will hear the regular show and tidbits about what is going on at the Carlinville Jubilee. You will hear their back-and-forth on WSMI throughout the broadcast.
Shawn Balint will also assume the role of “Jailer,” waiting to lock up the willing suspects that Dan St Onge and Tony Wiggins (County Board Member) round up people to play in the“Lock ‘em Up Public Art Fundraiser.” The goal is for the crowd to help identify who should spend “hard time” in the Cannonball Jail. For instance, if a gangster like Al Capone is seen, there is a good chance they will be es**rted to the Cannonball Jail to do a little hard time. Shawn says he will collect the bail money, keep it safe for the Carlinville Winning Communities, who will hold the money as the community donates towards more public art in Carlinville. “I will offer them bread and water, and when I decide they’ve made enough money for the cause, then I’ll let them back out to join the Jubilee fun. We all know Mayor Downey hopes to see more public art in Carlinville; this just might give them a starting point,” said Shawn Balint.
There will be a variety of food options available. The Carlinville Rotary Club will have pulled pork, nachos, and other choices from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. The Elks Club will be serving hot dogs and ice cream from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. The Macoupin County Historical Society will have pie by the slice or whole pies for sale until they sell out. There may also be a couple of food trucks. The Carlinville Walmart is providing free PBJ’s from 3 - 5 p.m. near the Kids 62626 Zip Code Stage on the West Courthouse lawn. Other local civic groups are likely to be involved and are finalizing their plans.
Imagine Rural Arts is providing materials for kids to “Recreate The Mother Road (Edwards Trace) through a large weaving project. Kids and parents are encouraged to participate in the project on the West Courthouse lawn.
The Gangster/Flapper Contest, with judging by crowd applause, takes place at 6 p.m. on the Heinz Jubilee Stage on the Macoupin County Courthouse lawn. One must dress up to be eligible to win prizes for best flapper, best gangster, and best couple or group. Each category can win a Starr Primal Meat Bundle, and up to $500 in cash prizes will be awarded overall. The Gangster-Flapper contest is brought to you by the Carlinville Elks Club, Bates Motors, and Carlinville Winning Communities.
As the Jubilee on the Courthouse lawn winds down towards evening, the city square gets lively Friday night. At 5 p.m., the activities will start on the Square, and most of the square being closed to through traffic. From 5 p.m. - 8 p.m., Taste of Carlinville will take place, featuring local food tents, trucks, and drinks. This will be located near the south entrance of the square in the area near Heartland Bank, Old Fashioned, and My Sister’s Closet. Also, from 5 p.m. - 9:30 p.m., one could get a Route 66 Old Fashioned (for those 21 or older).
There will be several music groups to listen to. From 5 p.m. - 6:15 p.m., Hank Greenwalt will be performing on the Main Stage, located at the Southeast corner of the Square near Panda Chinese and Hawthorne Coffee. The Municipal Band will perform from 6:26 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at the Gazebo, with the Rotary Club hosting an Ice Cream Social. Miles Station will perform on the Main Stage from 7:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.
The East side of the square near Edward Jones and the Antique Mall will be the kids’ activities area. Imagine Rural Arts has another art project for children: coloring postcards that will be given to Lakeside residents. There will also be bounce houses nearby, and the Lions Club will be running their purple train from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Rain or shine, the Jubilee will take place. Emcee of the Jubilee, Dan St Onge, will be making announcements throughout the day on Friday, letting us know of any weather-required changes.
For more information about the Jubilee, contact Carlinville City Hall , Carlinville Winning Communities, or the Carlinville Chamber of Commerce. Information was provided by Mary Tinder with Carlinville Winning Communities and Jonathan Griffel with Carlinville Chamber of Commerce.
