Kudos for the Hollister Independence Rally, which is showing
welcome signs of becoming a mature event.
As the smoke clears from the July 4 Rally that drew 120,000
people, some good news is coming to light:
Kudos for the Hollister Independence Rally, which is showing welcome signs of becoming a mature event.
As the smoke clears from the July 4 Rally that drew 120,000 people, some good news is coming to light:
n Vendors at the Rally made at least $900,000 in sales
n The Hollister Independence Rally Committee is going to perform an economic impact report to determine how much money the three-day ode to H and the biker spirit pumps into the area’s economy.
Despite reports that vendors were pocketing money, the tax from $1 million in recorded sales is welcome to any local government that is struggling with budget woes. It’s also a positive step that the Rally now has a reporting system that can tabulate the vendor sales.
The reports that vendors are pocketing money are troubling however, and we’d like to see the Rally implement random undercover audits of their vendors along with a no tolerance stance. If a vendor is caught pocketing the cash rather than properly reporting it, they should be tossed from the Rally.
But as important as vendor sales is the positive news that the Hollister Independence Rally will perform an economic study. It should put to rest any debate about whether the Rally is good for Hollister businesses by quantifying exactly how much money the hoards of bikers spend in the area as they buy food, gas, lodging and entertainment.
In addition, if the results are positive, the study could give the Rally some leverage when asking the state to help pitch in for the cost of policing the event.
The thinking is that if the Rally creates a positive economic boost for the region, then the state may help defray the cost for policing the event. And those costs, $300,000 this year, are significant.
In 1999 the Gilroy Garlic Festival produced a similar study and found a positive impact to the tune of $6.2 million annually for an event that last year cost $1.6 to put on.
It’s in HIRC’s best interest to similarly demonstrate its value in hard dollars and cents in order to broaden community support for Hollister’s marquee event.
Next year will be the 10th Hollister Independence Rally since the event was institutionalized in 1997. We believe the Rally is a good thing, and that a majority of county residents think so too. Hopefully, this report and increasing control over vendors will solidify the Rally’s standing in Hollister.
