Questions Still Persist Over Event Future
Rick Langenberg
Mission Accomplished: This was the message that echoed across the Cripple Creek Council Chambers during a recent post-event analysis regarding one of the town’s most popular and highly attended festivals over the last several decades, the Salute to American Veterans Rally.
However, despite the patriotic across-the-board salutes towards the rally, questions still persist about the event’s sure return for 2026, or the long-term future of the rally.
At their Oct. 15 regular meeting, Cripple Creek city leaders gave the return of the two-day rally a thumbs-up signal, following a report by Jim Wear, president of ProPromotions, the company that has sponsored and organized the festival for several decades.
Wear outlined the goals of the event, aimed at honoring military veterans and providing them with a sense of comradery, along with hosting the biggest veteran-related motorcycle procession in the state with its MIA recognition ride. “We are calling it ‘Mission Accomplished,’” said Wear, who proclaimed the 2025 rally a big success on all accounts. He said the rally attracted the most attendees for the recognition ride since 2019 and may have even topped those figures.
Moreover, he said the rally, which returned to Cripple Creek for the first time since 2019, generated a massive amount of media coverage from television and radio stations, regional publications and the local press. More importantly, he said the reaction ProPromotions has received for bringing the event back to Cripple Creek was outstanding, with no negative comments. And from a public safety standpoint, he outlined no problem incidents. “There was zero police activity,” said Wear.
Wear did not have to do too much arm-twisting with the council in convincing them of the success of the rally. “It was such as positive vibe,” said Mayor Annie Durham. “I was very pleased with the outcome.”
As far as any problems, the only incident the mayor reported was a dispute between two brothers in a local establishment that had nothing to do with the rally.
The mayor said she was frequently contacted by people outside the area and by locals, thanking city leaders for taking steps to bring the rally back to Cripple Creek. For several years, the event was held in Woodland Park and was previously cancelled in Cripple Creek due to the COVID epidemic. Durham, who volunteered as a vendor during the time the event was held in Woodland Park, admitted that Cripple Creek offered a much better location for the event.
“The rally really belongs in Cripple Creek,” admitted Wear in a previous interview with TMJ News, in discussing the variety of locales the event has occurred over the last several decades.
Similar comments were echoed by other city leaders.
“I was very impressed,” commented City Administrator Frank Salvato, who never experienced the event previously in Cripple Creek. In addition, he assured Wear that although the budget has not been finalized for 2026, he was confident that funding would be in place for the event next year.
That said, he made it clear that both he and his wife, Pam Wear, will make every effort to try to do the rally again next year. At the recent meeting, Wear was extremely complimentary towards the city staff and council. “Without you, there would not have been a rally (in 2025),” said Wear.
Originally, Wear, when the making the announcement of ProPromotion’s intention to bring the rally back to Cripple Creek, indicated a desire to do the event for three more years. That way, the rally would celebrate its 35th-anniversary in 2027, and the recognition ride would reach its 40th-year milestone. Both achievements are pretty significant.
But the ProPromotions president did not release any specific details about problems he may have in doing it again in 2026. The council expressed hope that the event would return again, with no elected leaders outlining any major concerns.
The city is currently in the process of compiling its 2026 budget, with a hefty chunk of funds going towards special events. The Salute Rally will most likely emerge as a signature event that will receive city monies, according to preliminary discussions.
As he has in previous presentations, Wear outlined the symbolic importance of the event, He said the recognition ride, which in 2025 attracted 18,000-plus registered riders, generated a considerable amount of money for the Vets for Vets group. He also cited the importance of the miniature-size Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall display, which showcases all of the casualties of the Vietnam War, similar to the larger attraction in Washington D.C., along with outlining other major conflicts that inflicted the United States, such as a big tribute to the casualties of the 9/11 attacks. The 2025 display was held at the CC/V high school football field.
Although it does provide some businesses a level of inconvenience, Wear stressed that he would work with any merchants or non-gaming business owners in steps they can take to enhance their business activity during the rally.
Councilwoman Melissa Trenary told Wear that a number of the earlier rally nay-sayers appeared to change their opinions this year.
The rally has endured a colorful history in Cripple Creek, where it became the original home of the event in the early 1990s. At times, tension existed with a perception of the event becoming a “biker rally.” Following some opposition by certain former leaders in the early 2000s, the rally was moved to Winter Park for several years. But it then returned to Cripple Creek under the mayoral reign of Dan Baader. However, the event then moved to Woodland Park, after it got cancelled in the 11th hour during the COVID crisis and conflicts erupted between rally supporters and certain other nonprofit groups.
It moved to Woodland Park for four years, but funding became an issue. This opened the door for the event’s return to Cripple Creek.
