The streets of Hollister were filled with vendor booths selling motorcycle clothing and promoting customization of bikes, but nestled on Sixth Street a few booths were manned by local residents who want to get the word out about their local organizations.
The Faultline Derby Devilz had a booth at the end of San Benito Street, where they were promoting an upcoming bout at Bolado Park in August. At their booth, they sold tickets to the August bout, T-shirts and raffle tickets to raise money for the organization. They also performed derby demos at 10 a.m., with a second demo planned for 4 p.m.
Check back for video footage of the Faultline Derby Devilz.
Decked out in turquoise and black T-shirts, with their derby girl name on the back of each shirt, they warmed up with a few quick turns around the track. With foot traffic still slow on the side streets at 10 a.m., the roller skaters took off in a pack to hand out fliers to people in the crowds on San Benito Street in hopes of drawing in more viewers.
“We are really excited for the rally,” said Stacey Vanderlei, who goes by Supersonic Pebbles when she is on skates. “It’s also great for us to be out here and promote our event at Bolado Park.”
She said she was also happy to see the rally back because it brings a lot of people into the community and will hopefully bring in some extra money to the community. The team planned the demos as well as a dunk tank to start later in the day.
At the Blak Sage Gallery, which opened at 11 a.m. on Friday, a steady stream of people stopped in to peruse the artwork on display. The show featured a variety of different types of artwork from local Rob Campbell’s motorcycle-themed comic strips to Phil Leonard’s paint-on-metal-canvas pieces that are evocative of a custom paint job.
Other art pieces included customized helmets, photographs reminiscent of pin-up girls and more.
“It’s my first year to be at the rally and I’m very excited to be a part of it,” said Amanda Chiado, the gallery manager.
She said when her husband dropped her off at the corner of South Street, she was surprised to see how many motorcycles were already lined up around downtown Hollister.
“I feel excited and it’s a positive thing for the community,” she said. “For the visitors to the gallery, it is a real positive experience, too. I love to hear the music of the engines.”
Louise Roy, a local artist, said in past years she had been on vacation when the rally hit. But this year she was at the gallery with Chiado, helping to draw in visitors.
“It brings a lot of people into town,” she said. “Everyone is so friendly. People are just talking and enjoying it.”
Roy said she was surprised at the different styles of art inspired by the “Freedom, Rebellion and Adventure” theme of the show.
“And I’m surprised at how many motorcyclists are coming in,” she said. “If you can bring different people in and get them involved, it’s great.”
She said she didn’t think some community members realize the gallery is a nonprofit so it was a good opportunity for them to share.
The Haggetts, of Wonder Woofs, used the rally as a chance to raise money for their nonprofit as well as raise awareness of what they do in the community. Janelle Haggett said they were raffling off 22 different prizes, most donated by local businesses. She said she thought a prize from Corbin Custom Motorcycles might be a big draw for out-of-town visitors.
“It’s an opportunity to get the word out to our locals,” she said. “It’s early, but there is plenty of interest.”
She and husband Sean had their two drug-sniffing dogs at their booth, taking turns walking through the crowds. Haggett said because the dogs are not on duty, they were allowing people to pet them. The dogs Ranger and Sparks are trained to sniff out drugs, with the couple volunteering services at local schools as a deterrent to students.
Haggett said even without the booth they would still be downtown for the rally.
“I like walking downtown and seeing the strip (of bikes),” she said. “It’s nice to bring it back.”
