Tag: sturgis motorcycle rally

With the likelihood of a new promoter on the way for the Hollister Rally, organizers must be more aggressive in marketing the city’s signature event across the region and beyond.

Despite a rich history, Hollister’s motorcycle rally has been plagued by inconsistency in recent years. In early 2006 and late 2008, Hollister officials canceled the city’s signature event – which drew an annual attendance nearing 100,000 for the three-day gatherings – largely due to skyrocketing security bills and losses to the general fund.

As a business owner in Hollister who is grievously affected by the lack of a rally, my frustration continues to mount. I’ve sadly observed as every year without a rally the number of people who make the journey to Hollister on Fourth of July weekend declines. Thank God for Mike and the folks at Corbin. His annual Rider Appreciation Day, this year held on June 30th, draws thousands of motorcyclists to Hollister. Local media did not find it newsworthy, but last year the Corbin Open House drew an estimated 5,500 attendees. I would guess that somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 of them made it downtown and for a short time it looked like the good old days on San Benito Street. Without Corbin’s efforts, Hollister would have been a ghost town; if only we could talk him into a two-day event.