Route 66 Big Band Hangar Dance is Almost Here
WEATHERFORD, OKLAHOMA (April 17, 2026) – The Oklahoma Route 66 Association’s first Centennial event is on Saturday, April 25 at the Stafford Air & Space Museum in Weatherford! The Route 66 Big Band Hangar Dance honors and celebrates the early years of the famous highway when the road served an important part of the World War II war effort. It helped with troop movements out west and provided a safe and reliable path for materials to get where they needed to be. “This event is a way for us to honor that era,” says Rhys Martin, President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, “and also to bring people to Weatherford which has branded itself as Space City further elevating the legacy of its most famous citizen, General Thomas Stafford.”
The event will take place in the Smithsonian-affiliated Stafford Air and Space Museum which has expanded with a brand new event space, outdoor learning areas, and gardens! The primary entertainment for the evening will include big band music courtesy of Talk of the Town Orchestra, swing dance lessons and a performance from the Oklahoma Swing Syndicate, documentary filmmaker Katrina Parks’ Rosies on 66 screenings, and viewing vintage aircraft up close!
The Boogie Baby, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain, a Beech C-45, and a PT-19 Trainer from the Caldwell Collection will be on display at the event.
Before the event, the pilot of the Beech C-45 will be giving rides for $125 from noon until the event begins. The plane can seat up to six people and flights last around 20 minutes.
The evening will feature heavy hors d'oeuvres from Lucille’s Roadhouse including onion burger sliders, fried pickles, spamwiches, chili, milkshakes, and apple cobbler.
Guests can also enjoy a night-at-the-museum perusing the exhibits, snapping a souvenir photo at the photo booth, and taking in the special exhibit of Route 66 photos from a private collection.
Tickets are on flash sale this weekend, Friday-Sunday, for $15 off each ticket. Purchase tickets at www.oklahomaroute66.com/bbhd. After that, the prices will go back up to $50 per ticket. Each ticket includes all entertainment, food, two drink tickets redeemable at the bar, and a souvenir Route 66 Big Band Hangar Dance challenge coin, exclusive for this event.
The event also includes a corsage bar, with floral corsages created by The Cup on 66! Corsages are available for a small donation.
Guests are encouraged to dress in 1940s era clothing or your Sunday best!
