printable press release

wheels of blue rolls around again

Since the first cars rolled off the assembly line in the 1900’s, owners have taken pride in their wheels. Whether they shine them and show them in their driveways or display them at public events from coast to coast, “car show people” love to brag about their vehicles.

“Car shows are popular nationally, and in Europe,” said Sarah Spickard, director of the Arts & Crafts Center at the U.S. Air Force Academy. “And because I started seeing a lot more of them pop up around here, we started our car show almost on a whim, in 2005. We just thought it would be a fun activity to add to our annual base picnic.”

That whim, called Wheels of Blue, is now a popular highlight of the family picnic day and draws about 60 auto exhibitionists on a regular basis.

“It seems that car shows are a dime a dozen around here – you can find at least one every weekend. It’s very competitive to hold one, really, because there are just so many,” said Ms. Spickard. “So the participants plan out which ones they’ll go to based on what’s in it for them: the fun or the good crowd or the prizes. So we knew we needed to create a niche for ours.”

The beautiful setting of the Air Force Academy itself, one of the biggest tourist attractions in Colorado, became that unique niche, as did the enthusiasm of the event attendees.

“We have a readymade audience of up to 3,000 people and it’s a friendly, family atmosphere,” said Ms. Spickard. “And because we don’t do it for profit, we charge a low entry fee. Plus, we give them a nice entry packet with a t-shirt and a Koozie and other items – oh and a really nice breakfast. In fact, a lot of them tell us we’re the nicest car show event people around because we make them feel so appreciated just for participating.”

Wheels of Blue has added a well-appreciated twist to the annual base picnic too, which formerly featured the simple, tried-and-true mixture of free food and children’s entertainment just for the academy community.

“After we held the first car show in 2005, a lot of Academy people told us how much they enjoyed it and the festive element it added to the picnic,” said Ms. Spickard. “Having the cars there to see and touch added a more three-dimensional feel to the event, and opened up the base picnic to the entire community. They’ve joined in wholeheartedly and I think everyone wins.”

Ms. Spickard admits she’s “not a car person” but has become “an event person.” Pulling off a successful car show takes horsepower.

“The folks at Peterson Air Force Base hold a car show and were generous with their advice when I was planning our first show,” said Ms. Spickard. “But the bottom line is that you have to know how to run an event, ask yourself what would make a participant want to come back year after year, then plan for success and watch it flow.”

Yeah! We won! Proud Best in Show
winners at the 2nd annual"WOB" Car Show

The Pink Panther made a special guest
appearance in a groovy Thunderbird
at the 2nd Annual "WOB" Car Show

Just another typical day in Colorado...

Everybody loves a car show!
Uh-oh, are those dark clouds in the horizon?

A particularly snazzy example
of one of the many hot rods on display.

Some quasi-cool dudes and their trusty mounts.