GEORGETOWN, Colo. — Twenty-eight thousand people passed through Georgetown last weekend for a glimpse of the fall foliage — one of the busiest years to date in Clear Creek County.
Town leaders told Denver7 Friday that despite some hiccups, it’s been a good thing for the community.
“Look how glorious it is out. You still see the color. The sky is so blue,” said Georgia Kofoed, police judge of Georgetown.
This weekend, the town is capitalizing on leaf peeping traffic with the first-ever Leaf Peeping Market.
“The drive up here was gorgeous. And just like coming into Georgetown, there were so many yellow aspen trees,” said Alicia Elisabeth, one of the many vendors who made the drive up for the market.
The idea started when Kofoed started brainstorming with Loredana Ottoborgo, who runs the Evergreen Farmer’s Market.
“I thought, you know, I don't think Colorado has a leaf peeper market,” said Ottoborgo.
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It’s just another way the small mountain community is banking on the amount of traffic the changing foliage brings to town from elsewhere in the state.
“Georgetown is extremely happy that they are here, because we get so much traffic, and traffic always does stop and visit our merchants and our restaurants from the lake to downtown, and this really showcases our historic downtown,” said Kofoed.
Speaking of traffic — despite the tens of thousands of vehicles driving through town, the Clear Creek County's Sheriff's Office says they've been able to keep it under control.
Sergeant Nick Aab calls its traffic management plan a living document — they are able to adjust it depending on what they see day to day.
“I feel like we do have the same amount of traffic [as last year], but I do feel like we planned for it better with that working document of making sure we had personnel from the sheriff's office and the Colorado Rangers and everybody else just staged and up on Guanella Pass, instead of us doing our routine jobs and then going up there when we were needed,” he said.
With another weekend of leaf peeping ahead, this picture-perfect fall town is ready to welcome you with open arms.
“Our merchants are happy. Our restaurants are happy. We just love to showcase and show off,” said Kofoed.
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