Route 66 Event Boost Local Economy

This year’s Route 66 Cruisin’ Reunion attracted more than 150,000 people and pumped upwards of $17 million into the local economy, according to data released Thursday by the event’s organizer.

By the time the party ended Sunday, the Cruisin’ Reunion attracted more than 1,000 cars, 50 vendors and had staged eight live concerts.

The three-day event on Euclid Avenue in downtown Ontario was a tribute to America’s love of the automobile and Route 66, with live music, food and lots of vintage cars, according to the Greater Ontario Visitors & Convention Bureau.

This year’s event was a great success, said Michael Krouse, the bureau’s president and chief executive officer.

“Our mission is to bring visitors to our cities, increase overnight stays in our hotels and boost the local economy,” Krouse said in a statement. “Our team takes pride in creating family-friendly events that lure visitors to our area.”