The 2023 Champagne British Car Festival (CBCF) will be featuring a self-guided rally, on Saturday morning, June 3, to Historic Pontiac, IL where the city parking lot will be reserved for our use. City representatives will welcome us with information packets and souvenir Route 66 pin. Arrangements have been made with Pontiac’s Tourism Department to provide us with special access to the Route 66 Hall of Fame exhibits & Museum and Pontiac-Oakland Automobile Museum. More Information.
Block 59 (the block south of the historic courthouse) will be blocked off exclusively for our group. The City will have staff there to greet and pull barricades to let our cars in. They will also have goodie bags for attendees that will include a VIP button (our Visitor in Pontiac program which lists discounts at various downtown retails and restaurants), a downtown map and a current list of restaurants in the area that will be open that day for lunch.
Currently, the restaurants that will be open within walking distance are listed below. The Welcome Staff will provide an up-to-date list the day of our arrival. The list will include restaurants, addresses and type of food
- DeLongs Casual Dining www.delongscasualdining.com
- Acres Inn https://www.acresinn.com/
- Madison Street Café https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057388392118
- Bob and Ringo’s Grill & Smokehouse https://bobandringossmokehouse.com/
- Edinger’s Filling Station: https://www.facebook.com/edingersfillingstation/
- And finally Pub 13: https://www.facebook.com/pub13pontiac/
Tim Dye of the Pontiac / Oakland Automobile Museum is happy to offer special “Behind the Scenes” tours for CBCF ralliers. The first tour will be from 12:00-1:00 and the 2nd tour from 1:00 to 2:00. These tours are usually $5/person but he will offer them to our group for $3/person. A sign-up sheet will be available to limit tour groups to 15 people per tour.
We’re also working with the City to set up a time for drivers to pull their cars in front of the iconic Pontiac Route 66 Shield Mural on their way out of town. We will have someone there to help facilitate that.
You’ll want to be sure to visit the Route 66 Museum’s first floor to see Bob Waldmire’s famous VW van and a mural he painted over several years. Behind the museum, we’ve arranged for CBCF folks to tour his renovated 1966 school bus, commonly referred to as his “Road Yacht.” This is open only by special arrangement. The Welcome Staff will provide us with the exact time Staff will have it available for touring.
Don’t miss out on this GREAT RALLY! Register for CBCF TODAY!
