GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, COLORADO (July 29, 2009) – What better place to talk cool cars than leaning under the hood of a classic car or street rod against the cool mountain backdrop of beautiful Gunnison, Colorado at the 22nd Annual Gunnison Car Show, August 21-23.
Last year, not only did the Gunnison Car Show become one of only 25 car shows in the nation selected to present the prestigious Lee Iacocca award, it was the first car show in the United States to be carbon free after figuring out the moving logistics. Using data from MIT and University of Washington and the guidance of staff from www.carbonfund.org, organizers determined the event’s carbon footprint. In response, the Gunnison Car Club has purchased carbon-offset credits that are used to plant trees. The club also is working with food vendors to reduce solid waste.
Sponsored by the Gunnison Car Club, the 22nd Annual Gunnison Car Show includes a cruise-in, a free street dance on Gunnison’s Main Street, an open car show, poker run, and breakfast cruise to Crested Butte. The theme “Cool Cars. Cool Mountains” celebrates the combination of Gunnison’s comfortable August temperatures and the many custom and collector cars on exhibit.
“The show is all about family fun,” says Gunnison Car Club President Mike Callihan. “In addition to hundreds of great cars, there are many, many fun things for the entire family to enjoy.”
· Get things rolling with a ‘50s-style cruise-in and concert by The Mezcal Brothers Band on Friday, Aug. 21 from 5 – 9 p.m. A portion of Main Street will be closed to regular traffic during the event, so there’s plenty of room for more than 150 show cars to park where they can be viewed by the public.
· The full car show runs from 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22 at beautiful Jorgensen Park. Surrounded by trees, green grass and water, this is an “open” event, which means any vehicle in any condition—from barely moving to full blown restoration—is welcome. It’s not unusual to see exotic, one-of-a-kind custom street rods, high performance sports cars, tricked out pickup trucks and a gaggle of British cars all parked together on the lawn. Food, music, games and contests are also a big part of the day that typically showcases more than 300 vehicles. Judging of the cars continues until midday, when an awards ceremony is held followed by a poker run through the streets of Gunnison.
Something new for Saturday evening is a “Cars in the Stars” program at the Gunnison Valley Observatory, which has the largest research quality telescope available to the public. The telescope will tour the night sky looking at features that share their names with cars: Galaxy, Polaris, Vega, Saturn, Taurus, Pulsar, Nova and many more. Reservations are required and seating is limited.
· On Sunday, Aug. 23, approximately 125 cars leave Gunnison at 7:30 a.m. to drive the scenic 28 miles to Crested Butte’s Elk Avenue, the town’s colorful historic business district. Elk Avenue is closed to traffic on this morning so that the vehicles are available for viewing while their owners enjoy a gourmet breakfast at one of Crested Butte’s fine restaurants.
Admission to Gunnison Car Show events is free to the general public, but there is a registration fee for cars that are entered. Car show proceeds are donated to community causes. For more information and to register, check out the Gunnison Car Club’s website at www.gunnisoncarclub.com.