Professional promoters try their hand at 60th anniversary
It’s become a July tradition in Hollister
– thousands of motorcycles cruise down San Benito Street as
bikers try to get in touch with their history with a little music,
a few cold drinks and a brand new T-shirt.
Professional promoters try their hand at 60th anniversary
It’s become a July tradition in Hollister – thousands of motorcycles cruise down San Benito Street as bikers try to get in touch with their history with a little music, a few cold drinks and a brand new T-shirt.
Now, after a year’s absence as an official event, the Hollister Motorcycle Rally is back on track and set to open Friday, July 6 with more vendors, additional entertainment and a whole new outlook on how to make the event a success.
“I don’t want to do an event that people don’t want,” said promoter Seth Doulton, of Horse Power Promotions. “If this rally isn’t good for the city, not just during the three days of the event but all year round, then I don’t want to do it.”
The rally is being professionally promoted for the first time in its 10-year history, after city council members last year refused to allow the rally to take place, citing increasing law enforcement costs. More than 10,000 bikers came anyway, forcing the city to hire additional law enforcement to the tune of nearly $400,000, with local taxpayers footing the bill.
City officials have also complained in the past about the difficulties in monitoring sales during the rally, which reduces the amount of sales tax revenue the Hollister receives.
In August 2006, however, a new local planning group – the Hollister Motorcycle Rally Committee – formed, and hired Horse Power to take over promoting the event. The council approved the rally later that year, provided HMRC pay for estimated law enforcement costs upfront and make improvements to sales monitoring.
The group paid the council $382,000 in March, and a monitoring team will conduct checks of vendor sales daily, as well as provide an estimate of all sales on the last day of the rally. These changes helped put the final stamp of approval on an event that Doulton says will be “totally different than in past years.”
“We’ve made four big improvements that I think will make this rally the best yet,” Doulton said. “The boundaries of the rally are still about the same, but the inside venues are going to be completely different.”
The first major change, Doulton said, is the switching the locations of vendors and motorcycle parking. In past years, bikers would park along San Benito Street, and vendors were located on Sixth Street. This year, vendor booths will line both sides of San Benito Street, while motorcycle parking will be moved to Sixth Street.
“It will be like a shopping mall atmosphere; all the vendors will be right there, and there will be lots of space to walk around, shop and eat,” he said. “People will be able to go into local shops. To me, that is the most noticeable difference [from past rallies].”
Vendors will also be located at the old Fremont School on Fourth Street, which is being dubbed “Vendor Village” during the event. Also located at the school will be the “Builder’s Square,” where more than 12 of the country’s top motorcycle builders – such as Kirk Taylor of Custom Design Studios, Scott Long of Central Coast Cycles and El Pitts of Vegas City Choppers – will be on hand to share products and ideas.
“These guys are like celebrities; they’ve been on Discovery Channel and other channels showing their work,” Doulton said. “If you want to have a custom bike built, these are the guys to talk to.”
Another event new this year will take place at the Granada Theater on Fifth Street, which will show biker movies, at no charge, all weekend. Movies scheduled include “The Wild One,” “Easy Rider,” “World’s Fastest Indian” and “Choppertown.”
The fourth improvement is the addition of two new stages within the downtown area, so live entertainment will be heard throughout the rally, Doulton said.
“There will be a stage at Fremont School, a main stage on Fifth Street right in front of city hall, and a third one in the beer garden at Sixth and San Benito streets,” he said. “This way, there will be live music playing in three locations all day long.”
Scheduled musical guests include Wiggle Wagons, Shakedown, Johnny Espinoza, Blue Baron, Crimes of Passion, The Usual Suspects and Charley Brechtel.
Other events include the Ego Trip Custom Bike Show, a Ms. Hollister contest presented by The Broken Wing and Quick Throttle magazine, biker games such as a balloon toss and a slow race presented by Whiskey Creek, the HMR Box-Off presented by Bull Dog Boxing, the second annual Emmaus House Charity Run and various biker breakfasts, including one at the Hollister United Methodist Church.
The difference between this rally and the ones held in past years is the way the 2007 event celebrates Hollister’s history as the “birthplace of the American Biker,” Doulton said.
“The catch [to a successful event] is not just knowing what you are doing, but also loving what you are doing,” he said. “I have a love for the history of Hollister. The rally is only about 10 years old, but what we are celebrating goes back 60 years. I want to celebrate what motorcyclists come to Hollister for – its history.”
Another change, Doulton said, is the improved communication between Horse Power Promotions, HMRC and local city officials.
“I didn’t expect the cooperation I received,” he said. “They [city officials] were willing to take a whole new look at this. Everybody from the chief of police to City Hall to even the gardeners have been so good to work with, wanting to make this happen.”
City officials echoed the sentiment about cooperation.
“I’m pleased that there is a group out there that has professional experience with this type of event that was willing to take it over,” said Clint Quilter, Hollister’s city manager. “Horse Power has been really easy to work with. We received a deposit for what we anticipate our costs to be for the event, and those costs have been our main problem in years past. I’m really looking forward to a good event.”
In spite of the improvements, Doulton said he realizes there will be some Hollister residents who are resentful of the rally, but is hopeful that eventually they will look at the event in a positive light.
“It’s too bad that Hollister wasn’t known for its coffee, and once a year thousands of people came into town to sit and drink coffee,” he said. “If you have land that grows alfalfa, you don’t try to plant avocado trees. Motorcycles are what Hollister is known for. We’re not going to make everybody happy, and I don’t expect to. But I would like for people to take a look and see that this could be good for the community.”
Venues will be located within Fourth, East, South and Monterey streets. Those streets, as well as those falling within that boundary, will be closed to all traffic except for motorcycles and emergency vehicles beginning 5 p.m. Thursday, July 5. The venue opens Friday, July 6 at 9 a.m. Hours are Friday and Saturday, July 6-7, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, July 8 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Streets will re-open to through traffic Sunday at 11:30 p.m.
Entertainment schedule
Friday, July 6
Main Stage
Wiggle Wagons: 10 a.m. to noon – Muttley: Noon to 4 p.m. – Charlie Brechtel: 4p.m. to 8 p.m.
Beer Garden
10 a.m. to noon, to be decided – LCA: 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. – Johnny Espinoza: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. – FUBAR: 5 pm. to 8 p.m.
Vender Village
Shakedown: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Vent: 1 pm. to 3 p.m. – Martial arts demo: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, July 7
Main Stage
Crimes of Passion: 10 a.m. to noon – Martial Arts Demo: 11 a.m. to Noon – MoFo Party Band: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Fashion Show: 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Charlie Brechtel: 4p.m. to 8 p.m.
Beer Garden
The Dystrict: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Brad Wilson: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. – Blue Barron: 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Vender Village
Boxing demo: 1 pm. to 3 p.m. – Bike Game: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. – Soul Kiss: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, July 8
Main Stage
MoFo Party Band: 10 a.m. to noon – Fashion Show: 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. – Ms. Hollister Contest: 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. – Crimes of Passion: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Beer Garden
Blue Barron: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.- The Dystrict: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information on these activities and others visit, www.horsepowerpromotions.com.
