Cars, Carving, Art & WOW Offer Supercharged Weekend in Gunnison, Colorado

Aug. 18 - 21 features Gunnison Car Show, Carvin' Up Colorado, WOW and High Octane Arts & Crafts

GUNNISON-CRESTED BUTTE, COLORADO (July 26, 2011) - 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?  Combine that camaraderie with an arts and crafts festival and a wood carving competition across the street as well as community party to welcome new Western State College students and their parents for a weekend full of fun for all ages.

24th Annual Gunnison Car Show, August 19 - 21
Sponsored by the Gunnison Car Club, the three-day event includes a cruise-in, free rock concert on Gunnison's Main Street, open car show, poker run, tour of distant galaxies at the local observatory and the popular breakfast cruise to historic Crested Butte. 

Fours years ago, not only did the Gunnison Car Show become one of only 20 car shows in the nation selected to present the prestigious Lee Iacocca Award, it was also the first car show in the United States to become carbon neutral.  This year's Iacocca Award recipients, Jim and Rick Schmidt, will be on hand to present a workshop of special interest to car hobby enthusiasts. Jim is the founder of National Parts Depot (NPD), one of the largest business offering restoration parts in the world. His son, Rick, serves as chief operating officer.

Get things rolling with a ‘50s-style cruise-in and music by The Lustre Kings on Friday, Aug. 19 from 6 - 9 p.m.  Four blocks of Main Street will be closed to regular traffic, so there will be plenty room for more than 150 show cars to park where they can be viewed by the public. 

The car show runs from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 20 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.  Food, music, games and contests are also a big part of the day that typically showcases more than 320 vehicles.  Judging of the cars continues until midday, when an awards ceremony is held followed by a poker run through the streets of Gunnison.

Local organizations are teaming up with the Gunnison Car Show to provide some extra fun in the evening.  "A Night on Thunder Road" Whiskey Tasting, Dinner and Movie Night starts zooming immediately  after the car show at 4 p.m. Carolyn M. Riggs, head chef/owner of the Brick Cellar Bar & Bistro, is hosting a premium whiskey and moonshine tasting, exhibiting selections from around the United States and Colorado before serving a "Retro-American" dinner with barbecue ribs, garlic mashed potatoes and roasted corn on the cob.  Next is a viewing of  "Thunder Road" (circa 1958) at the nearby Gunnison Arts Center at 7 p.m. before returning to the Brick Cellar for the "Thunder Road" after party.  Tickets are available for $25/person or $45/couple at the car show or online at www.gunnisonartscenter.com.  All proceeds benefit the Gunnison Arts Center, which also will be selling tickets prior to the event. 

After dark on Saturday, the Gunnison Valley Observatory will host a "Cars in the Stars" program.  The observatory features the largest research quality telescope available to the public in Colorado, which will be used to 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 a must and will be taken when participants register for the car show. 

On Sunday, Aug. 21, approximately 125 cars leave Gunnison at 8 a.m. for the scenic 28-mile breakfast cruise to historic Crested Butte's colorful downtown.  Elk Avenue is closed to traffic so that the vehicles can be viewed while their owners enjoy breakfast at two of Crested Butte's fine restaurants.  This event sells out early, so car owners should sign up early.

Admission to all car show events is free to the general public, but there is a registration fee for cars that are entered.  The "Cool Cars, Cool Mountains Car Show" takes pride in being family friendly and donates net proceeds to community causes.  For more information and advance registration, check out the Gunnison Car Club's website at www.gunnisoncarclub.com. 

Carvin' Up Colorado, Aug. 18 - 20
Approximately seven to 10 wood carvers from several states will transform tree stumps into works of art over a three-day period in Legion Park, located across the street from Jorgensen Park.  Watch Colorado outdoor themes take shape from stumps collected by the City of Gunnison throughout the year when trees are cut down for safety reasons. 

Participating wood carvers will begin their artistry at 10 a.m. on Aug. 18 and 8 a.m. on Aug. 19 and 20.  The competition wraps up with judging at 5 p.m. on Saturday.  All works become the property of the City of Gunnison to display in Legion Park or at other community sites, and each carver also will create a smaller sculpture that will be auctioned off.  For more information, contact (970) 901-6215.

High Octane Arts & Crafts Festival, August 20
The Gunnison Country Chamber of Commerce invites arts and crafts lovers to experience the High Octane Arts & Crafts Festival being held in conjunction with the Gunnison Car Show on Aug. 20.  The festival showcases arts, crafts and foods by approximately 60 artisans and vendors from around the region and will be held from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. in Legion Park.  There will be lots of fun for the whole family.  Call (970) 641-1501 or visit http://www.gunnisonchamber.com/.

WOW Downtown Community Party, August 20

Western State College of Colorado's Week of Welcome (WOW) for new students and their parents includes a WOW Downtown Community Party, complete with live music, inflatable games and more. Everyone is welcome to attend the celebration, which is held on Main Street and Virginia Avenue from approximately 5 - 10 p.m.  Watch www.western.edu/student-life/orientation/wow for more details as the event nears.

Visitor Information & Personalized Vacation Packages
To find out more about Gunnison-Crested Butte's summer calendar of events or to book personalized vacation packages, call the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association's official reservations center at (800) 814-8893 or visit www.GunnisonCrestedButte.com/packages.  Find the Tourism Association on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gcbta or follow us on www.twitter.com/gcbta. 

During the summer, air access to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport is provided by United Airlines.

About Gunnison-Crested Butte, Colorado
Gunnison-Crested Butte is nestled among almost two million acres of pristine wilderness in southwest Colorado.  Winter sports enthusiasts know the area for its world-class alpine skiing and snowboarding at Crested Butte Mountain Resort, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and ice fishing.  Gunnison-Crested Butte is also a haven for outdoor summer activities.  In the warmer months, visitors can choose from recreational activities such as hiking, climbing, mountain biking, boating, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fly-fishing, camping and horseback riding.  Year-round visitors enjoy distinctive restaurants, unique shops and stimulating cultural opportunities, and have a wide range of lodging options - from rustic inns to guest cabins and bed-and-breakfasts to full-service resort hotels. 

Gunnison, county seat and a real western town, is home to the Gunnison-Crested Butte Regional Airport, Gunnison Whitewater Park, Gunnison Valley Observatory, Pioneer Museum and Western State College, which offers bachelor's and master's degrees in liberal arts and sciences and pre-professional fields.  Both Crested Butte and Gunnison have thriving historic central business districts packed with shopping and dining opportunities. 

Recognized as the "Official Wildflower Capital of Colorado" by the Colorado Legislature and one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" in 2008, Crested Butte is 28 miles from Gunnison and the site of rich mining, ranching and skiing heritage and home to the Crested Butte Mountain Heritage Museum and Mountain Bike Hall of Fame.  Only three miles up the road is the resort village of Mt. Crested Butte, home to the ski area, an active base area, the area's conference center, and outstanding hiking and biking trails. 

Marble is located in the Upper Crystal River Valley along the Elk Mountains and is the gateway to nearby Crystal, home to one of the most photographed mill sites in the country. Marble has seven sites on the National Register of Historic Places and is the location of the Yule Marble Quarry.

In Gunnison County, visitors will find the Curecanti National Recreation Area, where dinosaur fossils were recently discovered; the Blue Mesa Reservoir, Colorado's largest body of water and home to the largest Kokanee salmon fishery in the United States; and The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, one of our country's newest national parks.  Gunnison County includes the quaint and historic towns of Pitkin, Gothic, Tin Cup, Marble, Powderhorn, Almont and Crystal, plus the better-known communities of Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte.  Gunnison County is part of the West Elk Loop and Silver Thread Scenic & Historic Byways.

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For a Word version of this press release, click on the link below. .

Contact:                        Beth Buehler                                        

Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association                 

(970) 349-1168 or bethbuehler@qwestoffice.net