Follow historic route 66
A Week-Long Celebration of Bessie Coleman
From Tulsa, Oklahoma to Chicago, Illinois along Route 66, we celebrate Bessie Coleman. Join us in person or virtually for an inspiring story of courage, perseverance and wonder.
Thursday, April 30, 2026 | TULSA, OKLAHOMA
We kick off the week in Tulsa, Oklahoma inspiring the next generations of Oklahomans to excel in STEM courses and pursue careers in aerospace or transportation. Partnering with Langston University, the Bessie Coleman Film Festival has several activities planned for Saturday, April 25 2026.
Saturday, May 2, 2026 | Bult Field, Monee, Illinois
Sponsored and hosted by the Chicago Southland Chamber, the Bessie Coleman Film Festival is excited to present award-winning aviation films, STEM education, aviation educators, speakers and hands-on displays and exhibits. Hosted at Bult Field, the south Chicago suburb airport, the entire day is great for kids and aviators.
Bessie Coleman Exhibit
Bessie Coleman Exhibit
The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center is our nation’s oldest independent Black history museum, and a Smithsonian Institution affiliate. Founded in 1961, it is dedicated to the collection, documentation, preservation, study and dissemination of the history, art and culture of African Americans and of Black people worldwide. Visit the Bessie Coleman exhibit and artifacts.
PROGRAM & EVENTS
GIGI COLEMAN ONE-WOMAN SHOW
GIGI COLEMAN ONE-WOMAN SHOW
GIGI COLEMAN ONE-WOMAN SHOW
FILMS
GIGI COLEMAN ONE-WOMAN SHOW
GIGI COLEMAN ONE-WOMAN SHOW
BESSIE COLEMAN DOCUMENTARY
GIGI COLEMAN ONE-WOMAN SHOW
BESSIE COLEMAN DOCUMENTARY
HOST: CHICAGO SOUHTHLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
LOCATION: BULT FIELD C56 MONEE, IL
STEM EDUCATION SPONSORS
STEM EDUCATOR
AAM & STEM EDUCATION
STEM EDUCATOR
Drone Demo and Drone Soccer
Drone Demo and Drone Soccer
Drone Demo and Drone Soccer
Celebrating 100 Years of Courage, Innovation and Flight
Queen Bess Centennial Aviation Film Festival
Aviation films inspired by Bessie Coleman’s legacy and the future of flight. Includes premieres from aviation-themed documentaries and shorts exploring innovation, equity, and sustainability in aerospace. Filmmakers submit films on FilmFreeway.com.
The Queen Bess Centennial Aviation Film Festival honors the first African American and Native American woman to earn a pilot’s license—an icon who broke barriers and inspired generations of aviators. This new and first in the world aviation film festival brings together film, innovation, and flight. The Festival will share how Coleman’s legacy continues to soar through today’s pioneers of electric aviation, drones, and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). The festival will inspire future aviators, celebrate people in aerospace, and showcase groundbreaking stories connecting past courage with tomorrow’s sustainable skies. We invite Great Lakes region of aviators, students and attendees interested in sustainable and conventional aviation.
Bessie Coleman Electric Aviation Demo airports/vertiport. ⚡ Electric Aviation & eVTOL Demos: Hands-on experiences with electric aircraft and drone technology, showcasing quiet, zero-emission flight and how the next century of aviation is taking shape. Work with AAM Institute to secure 1-3 electric aircraft for demo purposes.
As electric aviation redefines what’s possible, Bessie Coleman’s courage reminds us that true innovation takes inclusion. The Centennial Festival celebrates her enduring influence—bridging the pioneering past with a cleaner, more connected, and more equitable future of flight.
