AMHERST – Everything that could have went right did for the fourth Bordertown Biker Bash.
Organizing committee member Mike Johnson said weather conditions were near perfect for the three-day bash and that brought out large crowds to the festival grounds at Atlantic Superstore parking lot.
“It was over the top, we couldn’t have asked for better,” Johnson said. “When we were speaking with vendors, the public or the police everything was more than what we expected in terms of response.”
This was the festival’s first year at its new location at the Superstore after spending its first two years in downtown Amherst and last year across South Albion Street at the Amherst Town Square Mall parking lot.
In previous years the festival had to contend with wet weather at times that kept participation levels lower than hoped. Johnson said the festival began to turn the corner last year with its move to South Albion Street and things really took off with this year’s location.
“People were ecstatic about how things went this year, how well organized things were and how many people participated in all the events,” Johnson said.
The Tim Hortons Blitz the Bridge motorcycle run across the Confederation Bridge to Summerside, P.E.I. included 151 bikes while there were more than 40 bikes that took part in the Toys for Tots run around Cumberland County.
Sunday’s final day saw more than 30 motorcycles participate in the rolling church run that saw the bikes stop at various churches along a tour of part of the county.
Johnson said events such as the Hub City Stunters and Pure Adrenaline stunt shows were attended by more than 1,000 people and the vendors seemed pleased with how things went.
“Many of them are already talking about coming back next year,” Johnson said. “We have had a lot of people drop us notes at how pleased they were with everything.”
It was also encouraging that representatives from both the Shediac and Wharf Rat rallies in Digby were on hand to see what the Amherst biker bash was doing and Johnson said his group was more than willing to share what went well.
“It is really becoming a festival,” Johnson said. “There were a lot of families with children there for the shows and they were going through the vendor village. We also hosted some events this year specifically for kids.”
Johnson said organizers will gather in the next few weeks to look back at the biker bash to determine what worked, what didn’t and what could be improved on for next year. Soon after that, they will begin working on preparing for next year’s event.
Twitter: @ADNdarrell
