News and Information Archive

*Wednesday, January 2, 2008* We want everyone to have the chance to get their "Wow! Wild Water Towers" calendar! We still have a few left! It's a fundraiser for the nonprofit Community Resource Group which helps rural communities with projects concerning their H2O needs. *Don't miss out!* This is perfect for the water tower lover in your family! (... and don't deny it, you know there is one!)
*Tuesday, January 15, 2008* Our good friends at roadsideamerica.com are helping Pabst Blue Ribbon put together a travel guide which will feature some of their favorite roadside landmarks from around the country. Details are sketchy for now, but we'll let you know when we know more!
*February 13-15, 2008* The Illinois Governor's Conference on Tourism was held in Springfield. Attending is always a good time and a lot of fun seeing our industry friends from around the state. It's especially fun hanging out with our pals from the Tourism Bureau of Southwestern Illinois. The best part of the conference is networking and meeting new people who enjoy the Catsup Bottle.
*Saturday, February 16, 2008* Here at Catsup Bottle Central Command Headquarters we did a video interview with Miranda Summers of KDHX. She is doing a documentary on the Bottle District development in St. Louis which features the giant Vess bottle. The developers are friends of ours and suggested she add a bit about the Catsup Bottle restoration.
*Monday, February 18, 2008* We were contacted by the photo editor at Midwest Living magazine and happily provided a CD full of Catsup Bottle pictures. Look for us on the "Discoveries" page of an upcoming issue!
*Wednesday, February 20, 2008* The Danish magazine Historie will include a photo of a vintage Brooks advertisement and postmark in an article on the history of ketchup. Our contact, Lisa Henssel Joergensen, tells us the magazine is read throughout Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Letland.
*Monday, March 3, 2008* We're excited to report after attending the Governor's Tourism Conference last month, we won some free advertising space from the Illinois Press Association to help promote this summer's festival. Awesome!
*Thursday, March 6, 2008* *Lottery thief has other employees seeing RED!* An employee with Bethel-Eckert Enterprises (owners of the grocery distributor which owns the Catsup Bottle) has been charged with stealing a $10,000 winning Mega Millions ticket from the office lottery pool! Get the scoop from Jasmine Huda from KSDK Newschannel 5 in St. Louis by clicking here, and get the Belleville News-Democrat story by clicking right here.
*Friday, March 7, 2008* An educational publisher Les Editions CEC in Montreal, Canada, was in touch with us to use a Catsup Bottle photo in its "Real Time" activity book for English as a second language courses. The text about the Catsup bottle and the Fan Club will be used to highlight different verb forms. Publication is scheduled for May and the book will be used mainly in the Québec province and then a few other schools and colleges throughout Canada.
*Friday, March 14, 2008* Our all time favorite, totally authentic cowboy-jazz-western-swing band Cow Bop is returning to the road... the Mother Road, that is! Departing from Chicago on May 12, the guys (and gal) from California will travel Route 66 all the way to LA to support their new CD and JazzMastersWorkshop. In October of 2005, Cow Bop played under the Catsup Bottle and at the Oatman House Restaurant. We look forward to hanging with them again!
*Friday, March 21, 2008* The Route 66 Association of Missouri is starting its motor tour on our side of the river this year! They're going to kick things off at the Catsup Bottle of Friday night September 5 and cruise to Lebanon, Missouri, on the 6th and 7th. Click here for official motor tour information!
*Friday, March 28, 2008* The World's Largest Catsup Bottle has been inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame! Special thanks to Marty Bilecki for submitting the application, and thank you to all on the committee who voted us in! The induction ceremony will be held in Lincoln, Illinois, on June 7 during the 2008 Illinois Motor Tour from the Chain of Rocks Bridge to Wilmington. The Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum is located in downtown Pontiac, Illinois.
*Monday, March 31, 2008* We just received an email from Miranda Summers letting us know the YouTube version of her video has been posted. It was made as part of the KDHX Neighborhoods in Focus program. The 8-minute documentary discusses The Bottle District development, the giant Vess bottle, the neon Brooks catsup bottles, and the catsup bottle water tower. Keep your eyes glued to your screen to catch the Catsup Bottle Lady and the Big Tomato toward the end of the piece. Here's the direct link to the video on YouTube.

*Tuesday, April 1, 2008* News reports indicate that French's mustard has placed the highest bid to repaint the catsup bottle! Oh wait - what is today? April 1st...? It's April Fool's Day!!! Sorry, just a joke! Well, our little joke it the spot because it was reported on KSDK Channel 5 that morning and KFUO radio had an interview with the Big Tomato later in the afternoon.
*Tuesday, May 13, 2008 We had a really quick, fun little interview at the Catsup Bottle with The Uglistick. The band played Chicago last night and hit sites along the way as they geared up to play at the Way Out Club in St. Louis on Wednesday night. More info coming soon as to why they paid us a visit. We really like these guys, so stay tuned!*
*Wednesday, May 14, 2008* Cow Bop performed in Edwardsville at the Stagger Inn... Again on Wednesday, May 14. Our all time favorite, totally authentic cowboy-jazz-western-swing band is traveling Route 66 from Chicago to LA in support of their new CD and their nonprofit JazzMastersWorkshop. Bruce had a fantastic interview with Jeff Corbin during the "The Back Country" program on KDHX radio in St. Louis. To get the full tour schedule and updates on the band's progress cross-country, click over to www.wayoutwestmusic.com.
*Friday, May 16, 2008* We said goodbye this morning to Bruce and Pammy and the rest of our Cow Bop friends. After 2 successful evenings playing and hanging out with us, they headed west to continue the Route 66 Challenge Tour. Please make a donation to the cause by supporting JazzMastersWorkshop, a music mentoring nonprofit program for kids. We took some great photos and video - Check 'em out by clicking here!
*Thursday, May 22, 2008* This morning we sent off a bunch of Catsup Bottle photos to AutoWeek Magazine to by included in an upcoming issue. More info to come!
*Saturday, June 7, 2008* The World's Largest Catsup Bottle is inducted into the *Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame!* The induction ceremony was held in Lincoln, Illinois, with members of the Catsup Bottle Fan Club Board of Directors on hand. Special thanks to Marty Bilecki for submitting the application, and thank you to all on the committee who voted us in! The Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum is located in downtown Pontiac, Illinois.

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