LeCLAIRE, Iowa — This riverfront town got its turn at being a star Saturday.
It was “American Pickers” Weekend, and two of the History Channel show’s stars, Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby Cushman, were right in the middle of it.
Wolfe is a familiar face around LeClaire, where his business, Antique Archeology, is located. He and Colby Cushman answered questions on a stage alongside the Mississippi River for about 500 people.
“What is happening to us is happening to our community,” Wolfe told the appreciative crowd. “Today is amazing because we get to showcase our community.”
The community showed plenty, with streets jammed with traffic and visitors flooding streets and stores on the scorching day.
During the question-and-answer session, the Pickers, sans Frank Fritz of Davenport, talked about picking, filming with the “Pawn Stars” for an upcoming episode, the Laurel and Hardy heads in Wolfe’s store, Colby Cushman’s crush on “Star Trek’s” William Shatner (Capt. James Kirk), their favorite episodes — including“Hobo Jack” — and getting 6,000 emails at the LeClaire business after the first episode in 2009. Autograph-seekers crowded around Wolfe after the Q&A.
Last year’s “American Pickers” weekend was whipped up as a tonic to sagging tourism in LeClaire caused by construction that partially closed the Interstate 80 bridge. This year, it continued to build on the program’s success.
“We are so thrilled,” LeClaire tourism manager Donna Walley said. “These people have been such a blessing to this town. When the Pickers showed up, it was a boost to this town.”
Walley pointed out that people from across the country were in town. Six women from Minnesota and Indiana had their pictures taken in front of Antique Archeology’s iconic van. The group of friends pointed to Amy Johnson of Indianapolis — and her celebrity crush on Wolfe — as the driving force behind organizing their weekend.
They enjoyed hearing Wolfe and Colby Cushman talk about the show’s background and how authentic they were when talking about LeClaire, helping children and about the people they meet. They planned on taking a river cruise, among other weekend activities, before returning home.
Karen DeSanto of Baraboo, Wis., was among 47 people who came down for the day on a bus. They have fond memories of the Pickers when they visited the International Clown Hall of Fame.
While celebrity-spotting was one part of the weekend, bargains could be found, too. Ginny Fullmer was running an estate sale up the hill from Cody Road. She and her husband, like many in LeClaire, count Wolfe as an acquaintance.
She said it was more work to bring stuff outside to display, but was worth it.
“I’m meeting a lot of people I wouldn’t normally meet,” she said. “I think that people are from all over
It was “American Pickers” Weekend, and two of the History Channel show’s stars, Mike Wolfe and Danielle Colby Cushman, were right in the middle of it.
Wolfe is a familiar face around LeClaire, where his business, Antique Archeology, is located. He and Colby Cushman answered questions on a stage alongside the Mississippi River for about 500 people.
“What is happening to us is happening to our community,” Wolfe told the appreciative crowd. “Today is amazing because we get to showcase our community.”
The community showed plenty, with streets jammed with traffic and visitors flooding streets and stores on the scorching day.
During the question-and-answer session, the Pickers, sans Frank Fritz of Davenport, talked about picking, filming with the “Pawn Stars” for an upcoming episode, the Laurel and Hardy heads in Wolfe’s store, Colby Cushman’s crush on “Star Trek’s” William Shatner (Capt. James Kirk), their favorite episodes — including“Hobo Jack” — and getting 6,000 emails at the LeClaire business after the first episode in 2009. Autograph-seekers crowded around Wolfe after the Q&A.
Last year’s “American Pickers” weekend was whipped up as a tonic to sagging tourism in LeClaire caused by construction that partially closed the Interstate 80 bridge. This year, it continued to build on the program’s success.
“We are so thrilled,” LeClaire tourism manager Donna Walley said. “These people have been such a blessing to this town. When the Pickers showed up, it was a boost to this town.”
Walley pointed out that people from across the country were in town. Six women from Minnesota and Indiana had their pictures taken in front of Antique Archeology’s iconic van. The group of friends pointed to Amy Johnson of Indianapolis — and her celebrity crush on Wolfe — as the driving force behind organizing their weekend.
They enjoyed hearing Wolfe and Colby Cushman talk about the show’s background and how authentic they were when talking about LeClaire, helping children and about the people they meet. They planned on taking a river cruise, among other weekend activities, before returning home.
Karen DeSanto of Baraboo, Wis., was among 47 people who came down for the day on a bus. They have fond memories of the Pickers when they visited the International Clown Hall of Fame.
While celebrity-spotting was one part of the weekend, bargains could be found, too. Ginny Fullmer was running an estate sale up the hill from Cody Road. She and her husband, like many in LeClaire, count Wolfe as an acquaintance.
She said it was more work to bring stuff outside to display, but was worth it.
“I’m meeting a lot of people I wouldn’t normally meet,” she said. “I think that people are from all over
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