JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) — Joplin officials are hoping thousands of people will visit the city when the International Route 66 Festival comes to the city next August.

Organizers of the festival and the Joplin Convention and Visitors Bureau announced Tuesday that the festival will be held Aug. 1-3 in Joplin area.

The event was staged this year in Victorville, Calif., and last year in Amarillo, Texas.

The Joplin Globe reports (http://bit.ly/V6wzXC ) the festival is part of an annual meeting of eight state associations and the National Park Service. The groups discuss strategy for preserving and promoting the historic highway.

The festival generally features exhibits and presentations about the route, and vendors selling their Route 66-related merchandise. Joplin organizers say they hope to spread events to cities in Missouri along Route 66.

 

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