The City Council’s 4-1 vote to approve a contract with the
Hollister Motorcycle Rally Committee Monday night got the wheels
turning on an economically important local event.
The City Council’s 4-1 vote to approve a contract with the Hollister Motorcycle Rally Committee Monday night got the wheels turning on an economically important local event.
Getting approval from the city was no easy task. It took a visionary grassroots effort by local business owners, bikers, city staff and the police department working together to convince the City Council that hosting a rally could once again prove beneficial instead of simply being a drain on city coffers.
And although the roar of thousands of invading Harley-Davidsons is still distant, it is time for the entire community to get ready for the ride. The city has an opportunity to benefit from the planned invasion, this time without cost to taxpayers.
Local residents and councilmembers learned an important lesson from the “unofficial” 2006 rally. This summer, when tens of thousands of bikers came into Hollister despite the council’s decision to cancel the rally, the city ended up spending thousands of dollars on public safety costs and local business saw only slight increases in sales compared to past rallies.
Next year’s event will be different. The rally will be run by a professional promoter serving at the pleasure of the HMRC, a grassroots community organization hoping to make the most our city’s unique gathering.
Hollister is the birthplace of the American biker. Supporters of the rally have convinced the council to try to capitalize on our unique place on the cultural landscape.
Let’s make the most of it.
Granted the 2007 rally is not guaranteed to be a success. In order for an event the size of the annual biker rally to be a success, it will take a community-wide effort. The city and groups like HMRC can do a lot of the footwork, with help from professional promoters like Horse Power Promotions. But if we want the rally to benefit the community for more than a single weekend, it will take a group effort.
Working together we can make Hollister a year-round destination, not just a Fourth of July party spot. Bikers who come to enjoy the 2007 rally will have an opportunity to enjoy our city. Let’s give them an experience that will make them want to come back, again and again, to spend time in our city, ride up and down our country roads and spend their money here.
Those with concerns about the planned 2007 rally would do well let their voices be heard long before we start to hear the patented rumble of Harley-Davidsons booming into our town next July. The city, the HMRC, and promoter Horse Power Productions have all demonstrated a willingness to listen and make accommodations.
Those who have concerns should contact their City Council member or the HMRC.
Don’t wait until it’s too late to make the best of the 2007 rally.
