Welcome to I Like Illinois

This weekend, Springfield, Illinois is hosting the 25th Annual International Route 66 Mother Road Festival from September 25-27! This year, the festival celebrates 100 years of Route 66.

Route 66 was first constructed in 1926 but was far from complete and only had around 800 miles of paved road. The road was finished and completely paved in 1938, and it now stretches from Chicago all the way to Los Angeles. It passes through eight states and is one of the Unites States’ first continuous highways.

The event is an annual classic-car show held in downtown Springfield, featuring cars, music and fun for all ages! Several retro and custom cars will be available for viewing, many led by Dave Kindig and Dennis Gage, two designers known for their custom and classic car builds.

Gene Deitch was born in Chicago, Illinois on Aug. 8, 1924, later moving to California with his family and attending school in Hollywood. Deitch’s passion for the arts and drawing was apparent as a kid, making his first animated cartoon when he was only 13 years old. However, after graduating high school, the United States was in the midst of World War II, and Deitch ended up working for North American Aviation. He used his artistic talent to draw industrial parts and catalogs in aircraft factories. He was eventually drafted and served for about a year before he contracted pneumonia and was honorably discharged. This moment allowed Deitch to pursue his artistic career, which originally consisted of mostly music and sound engineering.

This past week, Mattoon celebrated 41 years of Bagelfest! This community staple features days of fun and entertainment for the whole family. The festival celebrates the town’s claim of the largest bagel factory in the world. The event features days of events, live shows and, of course, many bagels.

Thousands of college athletes from across the country will be headed to Rockford, Illinois to play in the Division-I USA Ultimate College Championships from Friday, May 22 to Monday, May 25.

In the tournament, 40 teams (20 each in the men’s and women’s divisions), will compete to win the college national championship of Ultimate Frisbee.