CREEDE – Saturday morning, Sept. 21, kicked off with low hanging clouds, the threat of rain, and Main Street in Creede lined with classic vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Chrome glistened in the soft light and people viewed over 75 cars to the beat of golden oldies from the speakers placed downtown. 

Most of the day remained dry as the Creede Cruisin’ the Canyon Car Show took center stage. People came from all over the US to visit this small mountain town, enjoy the changing fall colors and get a glimpse of the classic cars and trucks. 

For the past 16 years, this car show has been the highlight of the start of the fall season in Creede and thanks to the efforts of Vicki Kulyk and her husband Nick, it serves to fill the gap between summer and the hunting seasons, bringing much-needed revenue and fun to Creede. 

The Creede 4-H group was also out and about on Saturday filling the bellies of the wandering crowd, beginning with breakfast in the morning and then switching to lunch in the afternoon. The organization is a huge part of community service in Creede and offers unique opportunities to youth throughout the area.  

In addition to 4-H and the main car show, the Creede Art Council hosted its 5th annual Steamroller Printmaking event. This is a wonderful opportunity to highlight local artists in a unique and entertaining way, and as the event unfolded over the years, it has grown in popularity, bringing a crowd to Creede every year. 

As the afternoon wore on, car show participants gathered near Basham Park for the award announcements before heading off into the coming rain for a drive along the Silver Thread Scenic Byway and a late lunch at Freemon’s General Store.  

The car show winners are as follows, Best of Show was sponsored and made by Clark Auto and went to a 1969 Chevy Camaro, owned by Jeff Lawyer, of Littleton; the Don Pacheco Award went to the 1968 Plymouth Satellite Sport, owned by Ben Martinez, of Capulin; and the People’s Choice award, sponsored by The Holy Moses went to the 1955 Chevy Belair, owned by Sid and Charlene Shepard, of Sanford. 

Next up for Creede will be the annual Chocolate Festival at the end of November. For more information or a full schedule of events, visit www.creede.com.