Organizers of the 43rd annual Cañon Car Club Car Show are revving their engines in preparation for the event, slated to run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 14 at the Abbey grounds.
Superchargers, hot rods, old favorites, and more will be on display at this year’s show. As usual, entry to the event is free and open to the public. There will be a variety of prizes (both cash and material) available throughout the day with big-ticket prizes up for grabs. Participants must be present to win.
This year’s featured car is a 1971 Ford Maverick Grabber, owned by Wayne and Paula Nielsen. The vehicle, which sports its original paint job and interior, has been in the Neilsen’s extended family since its production in 1970 and was originally owned by Paula’s father.
Though Neilsen enjoys cruising around town, whether it be grabbing a coffee at City on a Hill or enjoying an outing with Paula, he grew up as a passionate motorcycle aficionado.
“I’ve been riding motorcycles since I was 12 or 15 years old,” Nielsen recalled. “I always rode sport bikes and did road racing when I was younger.”
He maintains a passionate love for motorcycles, but after the Maverick came to his garage in 2010, he expanded his horizons to classic cars.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nielsen took it upon himself to rebuild the engine and took careful time to remove, rebuild, and replace the engine — no small task, even for a car lover.
He and Paula moved to Cañon City in 2022 and, soon after, he became a part of the Cañon City Car Club.
“I was surprised and honored [to be selected as this year’s featured car],” Nielsen said.
Along with the other members of the club, Nielsen will present his beloved vehicle to the hundreds of people who are likely to attend.
According to club member Brad Knotek, they expect about 300 cars to pack the Abbey grounds, but registration will be open until the day of the show. Car lovers are converging from all over the country to attend the event. From the reaches of Iowa, Arizona, and Wyoming, the “gearheads” will likely find a mecha in mid-June.
Attendees will not go hungry as several food trucks are slated to remain on the premises throughout the day.
The proceeds from the event, from a combined auction, raffle, and merchant donations, will go to Fremont Regional Hospice. Last year, thousands of dollars were donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Fremont County. The charity auction will begin at 1 p.m.
Registration for participation in the event is open until June 14 and is $40 to enter a vehicle. It is $20 to enter a second car and potential participants can register online at www.canoncarclub.com or in person on the day of the event.
There will be a special picnic on Friday evening for car entrants only.
For more information, call Keven Zerby at 719-371-3890 or Joe Dozzo at 719-458-1142, email [email protected], or visit the Canon Car Club Facebook page
Originally Published: June 4, 2025 at 12:32 PM MDT
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