SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Visit Springfield and the Miles of Possibility Route 66 Conference have announced that the Capitol City will host the 2026 conference. 

The conference will take place Oct. 8 to 11 at the President Abraham Lincoln DoubleTree hotel in Downtown Springfield.

The event will bring together historians, preservationists, tourism leaders, authors, artists and enthusiasts, and will feature presentations, panel discussions, tours of Springfield's Route 66 landmarks and more. 

Visit Springfield added that author and historian Michael Wallis will serve as this year's keynote speaker. Wallis wrote the best-selling "Route 66: The Mother Road," and also voiced Sheriff in Pixar's "Cars" franchise. 

Registration is available online. 

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