Search

“Reverse parade” replaces Louisville’s traditional Labor Day event - Broomfield Enterprise

Dan Wollman remembered the day in 1956 his father bought him a used 1930s Model A Ford coupe for $25.

The rusty, paint-faded car, purchased in 1956, came with an extra engine, in case the first went out, he said. Wollman, now 69, later used the car to take to take girls out on dates when he was a teenager. More recently he’s driven it to Louisville, Kentucky where he placed at the Street Rod Nationals.

Wollman has sunk about $100,000 into the car, which he showcased Monday at Louisville’s Labor Day Drive Thru Car Show. Instead of hosting its 85th annual Labor Day Parade, Louisville opted for a socially distant celebration.

About 90 people registered vehicles for the event, said Katie Zoss, arts and events program manager, and about 80 showed.

Traditionally this weekend in Louisville means a Fall Festival, which includes the traditional Labor Day Parade, Children’s Pet Parade, Senior Dinner, Bocce Tournament and Homemade Pie Contest. The Louisville Chamber of Commerce usually also hosts a “pints in the park” beer festival.

“It’s a big, small-town celebration,” Zoss said. “It’s just sad because it’s a very authentic celebration for the community.”

In years past the Main Street parade attracted about 70 entries, including marching bands, floats and civic groups such as Boy Scout troops, and attracted about 10,000 spectators, Zoss said. Virtual events are necessary in times of COVID-19, but “we wanted to find something that was real and in-person and could bring the community together.”

A bus from Balfour Senior Living drives past Mark Bailey’s 1918 Ford Model T on Monday at the Labor Day Drive Thru Car Show in Louisville. (Timothy Hurst / Staff Photographer)

For two hours car owners sat by their cars, in the shade of nearby trees or tents, in the Ascent Community Church parking lot, 550 McCaslin Boulevard. More than 330 vehicles drove through the parking lot to view the display.

Wollman was joined at his car by his sister, Louisville Elementary School teacher C.J. Holloway, and Ruby Stein, a 12-year-old who wore a dress made with 500 plastic bags. Ruby said she was there to draw attention to a measure on the November ballot that would require a 25-cent disposable bag tax. Five hundred bags, she said, is what the average shopper uses in a year.

Drivers and passengers at the event were asked to stay in their vehicles; wear masks if they had their windows down and keep moving so as not to hold up those behind them. No handouts were given and no restrooms were made available to the public.

The event followed Boulder County Public Health guidelines for vehicle-based events, Zoss said, which allow up to 175 people for outdoor events. She estimated about 80 cars, accompanied by 150 owners, were displayed at the event. Organizers wanted to keep the event accessible, so there was no fee to enter the parking lot parade nor were car owners charged to park.

Zoss said the hope was also to give some classic car owners a chance to get back to their hobby and show off their vehicles. The selection included several fire trucks — a Louisville Fire Department 1932 Chevrolet pumper — and one Model T from 1918.

Daniel Toliver, a Broomfield resident, built a replica of the Ghostbuster car featured in the 2016 movie remake of the 1984 original. Toliver worked on the vehicle, a 1981 Cadillac hearse, over the winter using the Ectomobile shop manual to get everything as close as possible, down to the 3-D printed ghost hood ornament and stickers.

Colton Toliver, 5, arranges a model proton pack in front of his father’s 1981 Cadillac ECTO-1, modeled after the 2016 “Ghostbusters” remake, on Monday at the Labor Day Drive Thru Car Show on Monday, Sept. 7, 2020, in Louisville, Colo. (Timothy Hurst/Staff Photographer)

When COVID-19 hit, he decided just to drive it around in the hopes of making children, and adults, smile. He’s taken it to graduation and birthday parties, charity events and socially distant community gatherings like Louisville’s drive-through event.

“There isn’t too much going on,” he said, “I saw the ad on Facebook and I do a lot of events in Louisville anyway.”

He joined Colorado Movie Cars, a car club that according to its website represents film, television, and game replica/tribute vehicle owners and builders, to deliver high school graduation diplomas to students in northern Colorado, Toliver said, and drove to raise money for pediatric cancer. He also had stickers made to hand out to children and gifts Ghostbuster books to those celebrating birthdays.

After months of coronavirus restrictions this “reverse parade” has come to feel normal, Toliver said. While this event didn’t offer awards, his Ghostbusters car did win a “fan favorite” trophy at a plane and car show at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in July, he said.

Residents of all ages called out enthusiastically to Toliver and his 5-year-old son praising the car Monday morning, proclaiming it “cool” and “just fabulous.”

Lakewood residents Osmar Perez and Eddie Acosta showed a 1962 Impala, but took a few minutes to enjoy the other cars. For the past two years, they were attending at least one car show a week. These days they don’t have the luxury of picking and choosing shows to attend since safety restrictions have shut down a lot of events.

“Everything is cool,” Perez said about Monday’s collection. “It’s everyone’s pride and joy.”

Over the Labor Day weekend, the Louisville Chamber of Commerce hosted Taste of Louisville by encouraging encouraged people to safely support local businesses.

People were also asked to participate in a Virtual Taste Race 5K — a virtual event that had no start time and no physical course. Community members could run hills, neighborhood streets or on a treadmill inside their homes.

Louisville Rising, a local organization, will distribute a portion of the proceeds from the race, which ran from Aug. 29 through Saturday, to local businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19.

Let's block ads! (Why?)



"traditional" - Google News
September 08, 2020 at 07:14AM
https://ift.tt/35h2OCm

“Reverse parade” replaces Louisville’s traditional Labor Day event - Broomfield Enterprise
"traditional" - Google News
https://ift.tt/36u1SIt
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update

Bagikan Berita Ini

0 Response to "“Reverse parade” replaces Louisville’s traditional Labor Day event - Broomfield Enterprise"

Post a Comment

Powered by Blogger.