Staff writer
Ben Wilson is a “car wrangler.” He scours the world for vehicles for the film and advertising industry.
Escaping the summer heat of their Auckland, New Zealand home, Wilson and his wife, Lea, were in Kansas visiting friend and old car enthusiast Paul Kruse in Gypsum.
They came to Peabody Sunday Cruise this past weekend to see what they might find.
They made purchases from local businesses, ate lunch, looked over vehicles parked downtown for the final Cruise of 2016, and talked shop with their owners.
“This is a great little town,” he said. “Your buildings are so well preserved. I think you should research your history and come up with a ‘haunting’ for each building. People would travel far to be able to stay in a bed and breakfast in picturesque old town like this and have a supernatural experience.”
While it is not likely that the Peabody Sunday Cruise will be developed into a frightful and haunting experience for visitors, Cruise promoters are pleased with the increase in visitors and the growth of the event this year.
“We have had an increase in motorbikes and vintage autos every month except September when heavy thunderstorms were forecast,” organizer Linda Miles Martinez said. “This has been the best turnout for 2016. It is absolutely astounding — great weather and a great crowd.”
Martinez said they would like to see additional vendors and maybe some mini-events to give visitors more to do and encourage them to stay longer.
“People love to come here,” she said. “They tell me it is laid back and friendly with a great little downtown. They just like to come here. We need to give them a bit more to do so they stay longer.”
Martinez said they would be meeting a couple of times during the winter to evaluate and plan for next season. They would love to hear from potential vendors, groups, or individuals with ideas for additional events for 2017.
“They can contact me at Manestreet Beautique, (620) 983-4040,” Martinez said. “We are always interested in new ideas.”