It usually shows up in the dark. By morning, it’s impossible to miss: a pair of giant wooden numbers — just over seven feet tall — propped up in the front lawn, leaning against a deck or tucked into the bushes. Waking up to that scene means only one thing: It’s somebody’s 50th birthday.
In Carbondale, the “50” is equal parts prank, rite of passage and community celebration. What began as a single birthday gag has quietly evolved into one of the town’s most beloved traditions.
The traveling numbers belong to Craig Wheeless, creative director at Rainy Day Designs, though even he admits they’ve taken on a life of their own. Nearly seven years ago, Wheeless used them to surprise his wife, Erin Rigney, on her 50th. Now, the oversized 5-0 circulates through town on an honor system, marking this major life milestone one front yard at a time.
The origin story begins in late June 2019. Wheeless and Rigney were driving up to Aspen when they noticed a huge “50” perched on the steeple of the Prince of Peace Chapel — the church happened to be celebrating its own 50th.
Wheeless joked that he’d called ahead and arranged the display for his wife. “I was trying to make light of the fact that I would never coordinate something that flashy,” he said, describing his approach as “less is more” when it comes to birthdays. If Rigney was disappointed, she didn’t show it.
A few months later, the joke became a reality.
In September, Wheeless spotted the same numbers on Facebook Marketplace — the chapel was getting rid of them. “They said it was free; I just had to come pick it up,” he said. He quickly enlisted his friend Andy, and Andy’s pickup truck, for what seemed like a simple retrieval.
It wasn’t.
“When I arrived at the chapel, I turned the corner to see how massive the sign actually was,” Wheeless said. “The zero for the 50 was seven feet wide and did not fit on the back of a truck. Luckily, my friends don’t really care about such limitations when it comes to a gag.”
Rigney happened to be out of the country at the time, which made the eventual reveal even sweeter. She returned home from Australia to find the 50 installed in their backyard. She was far from embarrassed about the public spectacle.
“It was so funny, outrageously over-the-top and just so unexpected,” she said. “It put a massive smile on my face seeing it every morning, and we left it on display until the snow flew.”
“You would have thought I gave her the best gift of her life, given the level of her surprise and excitement,” Wheeless added.
At the time, the 50 had no future plans. When winter arrived, the couple stored the numbers against the side of their house.
Eight months later, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 50 found its calling again. A friend’s 50th birthday party had turned into a socially-distanced outdoor gathering at the top of Prince Creek Road. With the help of a willing co-conspirator, Rigney hauled the 50 up the road and stashed it into the sagebrush to greet her friend after his ski tour.
After that, the 50 was off to the races.
“It just turned into a catalyst to raise the bar of pranking, honoring and celebrating our friends as they joined the 50 club,” Rigney said.
Today, the rules are simple — even if the unwieldy execution is not. The 50 circulates widely, often without its original owners knowing exactly where it has gone. At this point, they consider themselves “stewards” of a community resource that doesn’t have a true owner.
“Sometimes we’ll be driving around town, see it, and have no idea whose house it is or how it got there,” Rigney said.
The only requirement for borrowing the 50? Sign the back with your name and the date you joined the club, then return it for the next birthday. The list of signatures keeps growing. The 50 has even visited institutions, including Carbondale’s beloved Village Smithy for its 50th anniversary.
“It really has taken on a life of its own, which is fantastic,” Rigney said.
Local dentist Andrew Nardecchia joined the ranks of the prank on Oct. 29 of last year.
That morning, he left before sunrise for a mountain bike ride at Red Hill. When he returned, there it was. Nardecchia wasn’t that surprised. “I had a suspicion since it was across the street at my neighbor’s on the 25th,” he said.
The 50 stayed put for two days before moving on. For Nardecchia, the takeaway was simple: “It’s so cool that we have this kind of community.”
Rigney said that sense of shared joy is exactly the point.
“Turning 50 is not something to grudgingly arrive at; it’s something to revel in,” she said. “I aspire to have others meet that magic day with a laugh, knowing they have made it.”
As more friends edge toward the next milestone, the question of evolution has come up.
“We’re trying to figure out a way to add a hinged piece of wood to morph into a 60,” Rigney said. “We are open to any woodworkers out there who want to hatch a design plan on our 50’s evolution.”
Until then, the 50 remains on call, waiting on the side of a house, ready to reappear overnight and announce another major milestone — and another reminder that in Carbondale, growing older is cause for celebration.