Joliet may have an extended weekend like none other with a unique series of events starting Thursday that pay tribute to the city’s place in history and its future.

Thursday is the day of the Big House Ballgame, a unique exhibition Slammers game that will be played in the Old Joliet Prison and has drawn the interest of thousands of people.

The game reenacts the prison-yard ball games of the now-closed Joliet Correctional Center.

It also is the Joliet contribution to the kick-off of the Route 66 centennial celebration. Joliet is one of four cities along the old Route 66 route chosen to hold kick-off events on that day.

Fans of the era may want to stay for the weekend.

On Friday, Joliet holds its first event at the new City Square, which opened downtown this week to the public when perimeter fences were taken down.

“I love it,” Sarina Eich said of the new square, which she visited with her dog, Lucy.

“We’ve been walking past here since we moved here in December. She (Lucy) has been trying to get in,” said Eich, who lives downtown.

City Square rules allow dogs but caution owners to keep them off the artificial grass. The green surface area is artificial, although there are planters with natural plants and trees in the square.

The opening of the square is momentous for Joliet, creating a public space downtown that has not been there before.

“This is a space for all the residents of Joliet,” said Ann Sylvester, director of cultural affairs and special events for the city

Sylvester said she hopes to see the square attract residents throughout Joliet.

“I hope people from Joliet, especially on the outskirts, are drawn to it,” she said.

Route 66 tribute

The Friday event will include live music and a car show, both of which are styled to pay tribute to the days when Route 66 travel was the fashion of the nation.

The event is 4 to 7:30 p.m.

The historic highway dates back to 1926 and lasted until the 1970s, providing a route from Chicago to California. It was a popular pathway for Americans traveling during the early days of the automobile era and remains a destination for tourists looking to discover Americana.

Anyone interested in that bygone area might be curious about an event on Saturday at the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum on Route 66, although it is not open to the public.

The museum, located downtown at 9 W. Cass St., will open a new exhibit devoted to Chuck Berry, nicknamed “The Father of Rock and Roll.”

Berry had a hit with his 1961 version of the classic song “(Get your kicks) On Route 66.″ Two of his children will be at the Saturday private event.

Rialto anniversary

The Rialto Square Theatre on Sunday will hold a 100th Anniversary celebration.

The event, which starts at 1 p.m., includes tours of the theater and a showing of the Disney Pixar movie “Cars.”

The city also will have a disc jockey on the new City Square on Sunday along with a miniature golf course to help the Rialto celebrate its 100th anniversary.