Only one biker club hits San Benito over Fourth of July
Fourth of July weekend in Hollister began with an annual visit
from the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club and ended without a
hitch.
The Boozefighters have visited Johnny’s Bar and Grill over
Fourth of July weekend every year since 1947, said Charisse Tyson,
co-owner of Johnny’s Bar and Grill.
Only one biker club hits San Benito over Fourth of July
Fourth of July weekend in Hollister began with an annual visit from the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club and ended without a hitch.
The Boozefighters have visited Johnny’s Bar and Grill over Fourth of July weekend every year since 1947, said Charisse Tyson, co-owner of Johnny’s Bar and Grill.
“That’s where their history is,” Tyson said.
Between 200 and 300 Boozefighters came to town, Tyson said.
“The numbers seem to be growing all the time,” Tyson said. “Outside of them, I did not see a lot of bikers.”
On July 5, the Boozefighters held a memorial at Johnny’s for a recently deceased member.
“Because of them I had a really good weekend,” Tyson said. “Everyone that went to Bolado [Park] made sure to stop at Johnny’s first. They stopped in and out all weekend, which was really nice.”
There were no major incidents over the Fourth of July weekend involving bikers, said Rosie Betanio, the personnel and community services officer for the Hollister Police Department.
“No, not at all,” Betanio said. “Actually, it was pretty peaceful. We’re hoping that that continues for next weekend.”
Due to the change in date and normal Fourth of July incidents, the Hollister police department had extra officers on patrol, Betanio said.
The change in date was well advertised, Betanio said.
“Nobody approached or mentioned, you know, ‘where is the rally’ or anything of that sort,” Betanio said.
That is what the rally’s promoter, Seth Doulton, president of Horse Power Promotions, expected.
“We pretty much had the word out,” Doulton said. “I would have been a little bit concerned if a thousand motorcyclers turned up and said, ‘what the heck?'” Doulton said.
That did not happen.
“I think if there is any decrease in attendance, and there very well might be,” Doulton said, “it would have everything to do with the economy and nothing to do with the change in the date of the rally.”
Doulton is expecting less attendance on Friday and Sunday as compared to last year.
Signs of the rally were already apparent July 7 as some vendors started setting up shop.
“There’s going to be some people who have 7-day permits,” Doulton said.
There are about five of them, said Clint Quilter, Hollister’s city manager.
They are not part of the official rally, Quilter said. Rally vendors will be on public property, Quilter said.
Although city officials are selling the official rally T-shirt, vendors can sell merchandise other than T-shirts.
Violations will be dealt with, Doulton said.
“We would go and find out what’s going on and try to stop them,” Doulton said.
The Hollister Motorcycle Rally is Friday, July 11 through Sunday, July 13. The rally will run from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Downtown streets will be closed off to traffic between Monterey and East Streets and Fourth and South Streets.
