Fourth of July has come and gone and its fireworks have faded,
but Hollister continued to party as the 61st annual Biker Rally
rode into town this past weekend.
photo gallery of the rally.
Coming soon: a video and an audio slideshow.
Fourth of July has come and gone and its fireworks have faded, but Hollister continued to party as the 61st annual Biker Rally rode into town this past weekend.
Early rally goers had plenty to say about this year’s scene.
“I’ve been coming out to the biker rally for the past 10 years,” said Hollister resident Stacie McGrady. “I just love people watching and admiring all the bikes. It’s the socializing that keeps me coming back each year.”
With the sun ablaze, the clothing scarce, and the BBQ pits flaming, visitors liked what they saw early on.
Josh Blay of Sacramento said he was impressed with the number of people attending the festivities and he prefers the new layout of the rally as opposed to years past.
“Without all the bikes parked down the middle of the street, you don’t have to worry about tripping over bikes,” said Blay.
Ted Winskowski of Hollister liked the new layout of the rally as well because it allowed for more personal space.
“I like this year’s crowd. I don’t feel like I’m in a herd of cows,” he said.
But not every rally fan felt as fondly about the rally, the second year of the revised layout under private promoter Horse Power Promotions.
“People come here to see the bikes, not the vendors,” said Tony Morris of Pleasanton, who has been attending the rally for 10 years. “But I think that the promoter has his hands tied by what the city wants, so I guess I’m just glad we have a rally at all.”
At the end of the day, whether it’s the hot bikes or the social mingling that brings the crowds, one thing’s for sure: No one left without a good story.
“It’s hard to pin down one good memory of the past 60 years, but I do remember seeing a guy was at least 300 pounds with tons of tattoos walking around wearing bright pink leg warmers,” laughed Chowchilla resident Bill Nichols Sr.
