While it was a sad night that saw the City Council cancel an
event that has come to define Hollister to the wider world, we
think the city should transform the Hollister Independence Rally’s
demise into a one-year hiatus.
While it was a sad night that saw the City Council cancel an event that has come to define Hollister to the wider world, we think the city should transform the Hollister Independence Rally’s demise into a one-year hiatus.
On Monday, the City Council canceled the event on public property this year but that does not mean Hollister should give up on the rally altogether. In fact, we will have little choice but to figure out what to do because the hogs will rumble down San Benito Street this summer no matter what. Instead of dwelling on the end of the rally, the council and residents who love the event should turn this into an opportunity for the city to take a step back, rethink and refocus on what needs to happen to host a successful, organized rally in 2007.
When the City Council canceled it’s contract with the Hollister Independence Rally Committee earlier this year – largely due to a $360,000 law enforcement bills – it was on the right track in trying to get this event organized professionally. We’d like to see council members keep on that track.
What the rally needs is a professional organization to run it – someone who can find a way to turn 100,000 people on our city streets into a profitable venture. Gilroy has managed the feat with its Garlic Festival and plows tens of thousands of dollars back into worthy causes every year.
Now is our chance to put such an organization in place. Mayor Robert Scatinni and Councilman Brad Pike – both of whom voted against killing the event this year – should create a subcommittee or blue ribbon taskforce to work on a establishing a professional event that is run in accordance with the city’s vision for public safety, profitable for our businesses, marketed in a way that will keep people coming to Hollister year round and, most importantly, is not operating in the red year after year.
Unfortunately, San Benito County and Hollister have very few economic engines and the rally was one that could have been expanded on. It should have been marketed – and still could – in a way to draw tourists to the area year round. It could have been tied to some sort of motorcycle history museum. It could have been used to forge a national identity for our little town that could bring people and their dollars to Hollister.
With the cult move The Wild One starring Marlon Brando, not to mention the Motorcycle Invasion of the 1940s, Hollister has a mythology that it can build on. It would be foolish to let that go. Let’s work to reshape the rally into an event that makes us money and provides a good time for all.
