July 4, 2023
Written By: J.Couch
It’s the 4th of July and what better time than to take a trip up to the last day of the Greeley Fair and watch the demolition derby. We drove the hour plus drive up with sunny warm weather. But forecast was for thunderstorms to start in the afternoon. When we got there it was very quiet and almost seemed like it had just opened for the day. We looked around the fairgrounds of rides and fairground foods, that are not plant based by any means. I must admit I had a hard time not food shaming people seeing what people were eating and drinking. Not sure why anyone would need 48 ounces of Mountain Dew. Sorry I had to vent.
We randomly found the Centennial Village Museum on the south side of the fairgrounds and it was open to walk through with the cost of our fair ticket. We needed to kill some time before the Derby so we decided to do a walkthrough. It was a very interesting place that we didn’t even know was here. It is a small area where they have saved historical houses and structures and moved them there to set up a small town/museum. In fact, it is bigger than it looks. We discovered a plethora of historical wonders, including quaint houses, an old-school building, a fire station, a printer’s shop, and even an antique cable car. If you stop at the old Montford farm house you get to see Cinnamon the cow who likes to give kisses if you get too close. It was quite a surprise to get to see this while waiting for the demolition to start.
We finished up there and headed back over to the Greeley Stampede Grandstand to find our seats. We ended up being at the top row which really isn’t a bad view, just a lot of stairs to get there. The derby started off with multiple heats of contestants competing to move on to the finals. It was exciting to see these cars go from somewhat of a junker with loud exhaust straight out through the hood to mangled cars that looked like they just came out of the car crusher. It was amazing to see some of them still able to move on their own. Once the round was finished, they would bring out a giant tractor with forks and pick up the ones that could no longer move on their own and haul them off. Out of all of that, the best part was the end which was the RV demolition derby and that was amazing. If you’ve never seen an RV demolition in your life it is something that you need to watch sometime. The show ended and we made a race for the car because the thunderstorms rolled in and it was about ready to unleash a downpour on us. The thunder was booming and the lightning was flashing across the sky as we headed south, skirted the thunderstorm and made it back into Denver with no major issues.
Thus concluded our unforgettable 4th of July adventure, a day of jubilant celebration, adrenaline-pumping excitement, and unexpected discoveries. The Greeley Fair’s demolition derby had left memories of roaring engines, mangled metal, and the sheer thrill of witnessing vehicular mayhem. Until next year’s festivities, we shall cherish these moments and eagerly await the return of the Greeley Fair and its demolition derby, ready to create new memories with family and friends.
Thanks for wandering with us,
The Wandering Couchs
