At some point in our journey of discovering the wonderful world of automobiles, most of us get tired of seeing ordinary cars with decals, and the same old treatment of the same old cars over and over... and over. Surely there must be more shows featuring more interesting cars, higher-quality builds, and an overall reason to come out and be excited.
The number of shows in Colorado is truly staggering. But because there are so many, they often tend to melt together into exercises in futility, at least if one's desire is to see something different. I don't mean to put down people's individual cars, so I won't mention any specific makes or models, but we've all seen way too many of certain cars, built using the same ideas as everyone else, showing not only little imagination, but also a level of skill that seems increasingly disappointing.
Let's see what else we can find. Here are a few shows that I feel have shown consistently that they have something unique to offer:
1. The Colorado English Motoring Conclave, September 19 and 20, 2015. Oak Park, 64th Place and Oak Street, Arvada. From what we see on the streets one might think there are only about a dozen British automobiles in the Denver area, but this show consistently pulls over 500 cars every year, and it's been going on for over thirty years. Many of these cars are taken out only two days a year - for this show. The attention to correctness and detail is often wonderful. You'll get to see cars you've previously only read about.
2. O'Reilly Auto Parts Creme de la Chrome Show, November 27 - 29, Colorado Convention Center, Denver. This show is famous for the incredibly high quality of entrants. It's also comfortable, being one of the few indoor shows in Colorado. Past shows have included Ridler and Great 8 winners, magazine cover cars, movie cars, and great examples of extremely rare rides from all periods of automotive history. Local builders know they have to work hard, since cars come here from all over the country, and they're not here to mess around. If you win Best of Show here (The Chrome Award), you've got bragging rights for the next decade.
3. Carnage on Larimer, August 29, Larimer Street in Denver between 30th and 33rd. Three blocks of pure fun, displaying street cruisers from several subcultures as one big family. And I do mean family. Everyone is welcomed here, and you can strike up a conversation with a perfect stranger just as though you were brothers. Here you'll gain a new appreciation for cars you don't see at mainstream shows. These cars reflect the personalities of their drivers, often with a wry and self-aware sense of humour. This is the true old-school spirit of hot rodding.
4. High Plains Raceway Open Lapping Days, Fridays and some Thursdays all Summer long,
93301 East US Highway 36, Deer Trail. Okay, so this isn't a car show per se, but it's the logical extension of appreciation. A great time, and a perfect way to actually legally race your own car on a real, race-used 2.5 mile long course. A professional, knowledgeable track staff and pits you can camp in (if you need to) combine with the adventure of racing with people just met, totaling up to an unforgettable experience. It'll be much more fun than when your cousin tried to race his Corolla down Lookout Mountain and ended up rolling it six times. Many car clubs also race here on the weekends, which should encourage you to join one with fellow owners. See their calendar for details.
Do you think I've shortchanged your favorite show? Let me know!
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