By Lyndsie Ferrell
CREEDE— Erin Yurkinas has been a Creede resident for several years, first owning a restaurant called the Far Dog and then becoming the new Creede and Mineral County Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center Director. Yurkinas has spent her time working at the center and improving several area events as well as the center itself, adding new paint, furniture and refurbishing the inside of the building.
Though the restaurant only lasted three years, Yurkinas knew that Creede was going to be her home and has found her calling at the visitor center over the past year.
Her husband’s family owns two restaurants in the Dallas, Texas area and when she was told that their famous coconut cream pie was going to be featured on the Fox 4 Good Day Dallas TV show, she raised her hand and offered to be the one to make the pie on live TV.
“It was such a cool experience, and I wanted the opportunity to be the one to feature the pie on live TV. When we had the restaurant here in Creede we used the same recipe and it was very popular, so it was something that was close to the heart for me,” said Yurkinas. The restaurant was celebrating their 20th anniversary in Dallas and the Good Day Dallas show invited them to come make their pie in conjunction with National Coconut Cream Pie Day.
“Everything happened so fast that I was not able to get a shout out to Creede, but just the fact that I was able to be on the show was amazing,” said Yurkinas. “The pie is so popular in the Dallas area, and it was really popular up in Creede while we had the Far Dog.”
Yurkinas is back home now and has been working at the center to prepare for the coming summer. “We have changed the dates for the Donkey Dash and Gravity Derby to June 9 this year to correspond with the Run Off Run Off event. I really think that the change will add to June as it is a slow part of the summer and bring more people to the area that time of year,” said Yurkinas.
Yurkinas is also working to beautify the outside of the visitor center with money that was recently given to them from the Virginia Christensen Trust Fund by the town. “I really wanted to spruce up the outside of the center and make it even more welcoming for guests. We have worked really hard on the inside, adding new paint and new furniture and now with spring, we can do something outside.”
Yurkinas is continuing to try and bring new events to the area including a possible mushroom foray later in the summer. For now though, her efforts are focused on the Taste of Creede that will take place Memorial Day weekend.