While "Welcome Bikers" flags still flap downtown and local bars continue to restock depleted beer reserves, organizers already are looking ahead to next year's Hollister Motorcycle Rally and, according to rally organizer Seth Doulton, it's uncertain where the rally will be held.
"The future of the rally is not on San Benito Street," said Seth Doulton, owner of Horse Power Promotions. "Once the bypass is complete and Caltrans gives the road back to the city, the rally may need to be moved. The way the city is looking to change the design of San Benito Street, having the rally there just wouldn't work."
City Manager Clint Quilter said while the transfer of San Benito Street from Caltrans back to the City of Hollister could affect where future rallies are held, he contended that next year's rally will remain on the main drag downtown.
"I can guarantee we won't have a release from Caltrans by next year, so that shouldn't be an issue," Quilter said. "As you go forward, you have to constantly reevaluate how you do things."
Doulton said he's committed to continuing on as the rally's promoter and keeping the event alive and that any final changes are a long way off. He did say, however, that several vendors already have shown interest in buying spots for next year's rally and that determining the details for the show is a priority.
"We're losing the Fremont School area next year, so I'm going to have to find a place to put the 60 or so vendors who set up there," he said. "Really, all my decisions are at the mercy of the police chief and the city manager."
Doulton's reference to the Fremont School area coincides with that location potentially being the future site of the San Benito County Courthouse - if seismic trenching work currently under way results in a stamp of approval there.
Though questions remain about 2009, businesses and visitors largely showed a positive response to the 2008 event, including several bars and restaurants that called it "the best rally ever."
Mayor Doug Emerson said he was pleased with the organization of the event and that "most of the responses I've heard have been very positive."
"I felt the crowd on Saturday was the biggest crowd we've ever had," Emerson said. "But the way the it was laid out, it didn't feel crowded."
Mike Corbin, chief risk officer for Corbin Motorcycle Seats and Accessories, said his only complaint was scheduling the rally after the Fourth of July weekend.
"This year, Saturday was the only real selling day," Corbin said. "Still, I think the town needs to appreciate all that Seth has done for the rally."
One of the questions still remaining for residents and city officials is how many of the city's 40,000 official rally T-shirts were sold.
Unlike in past years, this year the city paired up with the San Benito County Chamber of Commerce and bought the shirts in hopes of turning a profit. Quilter said it would be two weeks until that sales information is known.
Meanwhile, chamber President Jessica French said she's confident in a good return on the investment and she's looking forward to helping to organize next year's rally.
"This was the best rally we've ever had," French said. "After this year, we have a better idea of the chamber's role and we'll be even more ready next year."
Curtis Cartier Curtis Cartier covers the City of Hollister and public safety for the Free Lance. Reach him at (831) 637-5566 or email him.
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