SANTA FE, N.M., July 14 (Our New Mexico Times) — The New Mexico Tourism Department and New Mexico Magazine have teamed with Chex Mix on a Route 66 promotion that mixes travel marketing with a snack brand.
What is the partnership?
The campaign has two parts. Chex Mix BOLD packaging with Route 66 designs is set to appear in convenience stores across the United States, along with Route 66-inspired point-of-sale displays and signage. New Mexico Magazine, the state publication that says it has been published since 1923, is also sponsoring a sweepstakes called “Chex Mix Hits the Road in New Mexico.”
What can people win?
The grand prize package includes five nights of hotel stays across Gallup, Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Tucumcari. It also includes a VIP experience at Acoma Pueblo Sky City, passes from the Museum Foundation of New Mexico, a $1,000 airline gift card and a mid-size rental car for the trip.
The release names Hotel El Rancho, El Vado Motel, La Fonda on the Plaza, Roadrunner Lodge and Sky City Cultural Center & Haak’u Museum as participating partners.
The sweepstakes runs from June 1 through Aug. 31, 2026. It is open to legal residents of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., who are 21 or older and have a valid U.S. driver’s license. No purchase or payment is required.
Why Route 66, and why now?
The promotion is part of New Mexico’s larger Route 66 Centennial effort. The Tourism Department says Route 66 will be officially recognized on Nov. 11, 2026. Its Route 66 pages describe a broader statewide celebration for 2026 that includes festivals, public art installations, restored neon signage, new visitor experiences and cultural programming.
New Mexico is also running other Route 66 projects. New Mexico MainStreet, a program of the state Economic Development Department, has launched the NMMS Route 66 Centennial Passport program for 2026. A separate Route 66 Centennial Challenge runs from July 1, 2025, through Aug. 31, 2026, for people 18 and older and uses check-ins and postcard pickups at locations across the state.
The state has also used a Route 66 Centennial grant program to support marketing, special events and infrastructure tied to the highway, with some successful applications eligible for up to $250,000.
For New Mexico, the Chex Mix partnership is one more way to turn Route 66 into a travel pitch ahead of the highway’s 100th anniversary.
