Hot Wheels

There are lots of ways to spend the Thanksgiving weekend in Denver, but many families end up at the annual Rocky Mountain Auto Show, which kicks off the official holiday season with a welcome distraction from Black Friday shoppers and fleeing skiers. Billed as the “Crème de la Chrome of the Rockies,” the expansive expo, coming to the Colorado Convention Center for its eighteenth year, has something for everyone, from hot rods to one-of-a-kind concept cars. Plus, the RMAS covers the local angle better than most, with hundreds of entries from local car clubs and independent automotive enthusiasts displayed on the floor, thanks to the all-inclusive policies of the family-owned Denver company Greybeard Promotions, Inc.

Even if you don’t love cars, the show is thick with interesting auto-related diversions, like the first-ever Live Panel Jam, which features pinstriping artists at work, creating original decorative works that will be auctioned off Saturday to benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. If you’re looking for a thrill, the Pikes Peak Hill Climb Association will be there with a race-car simulator, and if you fancy high-end machinery, Sill-TerHar Motors will bring a state-of-the-art Lamborghini Huracan, a Jaguar F-Type, a Maserati Ghibli and an Aston Martin to the show.

Visit the RMAS daily through Sunday at the convention center, 700 14th Street; admission ranges from $5 to $15 at the door (or pick up discounted tix in advance at O’Reilly Auto Parts locations). Learn more at cremedelachrome.com.

Nov. 28-30, 2014