NM Tourism Department awards second round of Route 66 Centennial grant funding

SANTA FE, NM – With the Route 66 centennial just around the bend, the New Mexico Tourism Department (NMTD) is revving up its Route 66 Centennial Grant Program for another year.

Thanks to a special appropriation allocated to NMTD during the 2025 Legislative Session, NMTD will be awarding a total of $1,306,097 to Route 66 communities in fiscal year 2026 for the purposes of marketing and promotion, special events and infrastructure.

NMTD awarded $752,538 in funding for marketing and promotion, $423,559 for infrastructure and $130,000 for special events.

“Promoting the Route 66 centennial and preparing the state for this milestone was a strategic focus for the Tourism Department this past fiscal year and will continue to be so this year as well,” said Acting Secretary Lancing Adams. “Awareness and interest in the Route 66 centennial continue to grow among domestic and international travelers and we fully intend to capitalize on this momentum.”

The three-pronged approach for this grant program was first established in FY25 during the inaugural year of the program. Last year, NMTD issued $400,000 in grant funding for marketing and promotion, $1,043,000 for infrastructure and $70,000 for special events.

NMTD emphasized grant funding for marketing and special events for FY26 to better align with the awareness-building and inspiration phase of the leisure travel planning process. By comparison, NMTD committed a larger share of grant funding for tourism infrastructure improvements in FY25 so that Route 66 communities are better equipped to manage increased travel during the centennial in 2026.

Eligible entities include nonprofit tourism-related organizations, municipalities, county and tribal governments and special districts. Successful applicants were able to demonstrate a clear association between the significance of Route 66 and the applicant’s destination. Community organizations were also encouraged to work with their local government entity or destination management organization on an application. All projects funded by this grant program must be planned or completed by June 15, 2026.

Travelers and residents can already see some of these investments in their community. The City of Gallup dedicated their FY25 grant funding to improved wayfinding and the creation of public art, which included the completion of a Route 66-themed mural by artist Eric Sarracino in Historic Downtown Gallup. In Albuquerque, the Historic Old Town Association used its FY25 grant funding to install a neon entrance archway at the south end of Old Town, which is nearing completion.

Below is a full list of the Route 66 Centennial Grant Program recipients for FY26:

The $752,538 in marketing and promotions grants was distributed among the following entities: Visit Albuquerque, Barelas Community Coalition Inc., Historic Old Town Association (Albuquerque), TOURISM Santa Fe, City of Grants, City of Moriarity, City of Santa Rosa, Village of Pecos, City of Gallup, Tucumcari Quay County Chamber of Commerce, Laguna Pueblo and Navajo Nation Tourism Department.

More information about this program is available on the Tourism Department website.

About New Mexico True: The New Mexico Tourism Department created the New Mexico True brand in response to common misconceptions that New Mexico is a dry, arid, barren desert state with nothing to do. Built upon the idea that a trip to New Mexico is an “adventure that feeds the soul,” the brand advertising campaign provides a platform for unified messaging for more than 50 communities and 450 businesses around the state.