Bikers set up shop in Moncton
Published Thursday June 25th, 2009
Third annual Atlanticade has high-powered fun for all.
It's going to be motorcycle madness this weekend in Moncton: the third annual Atlanticade Motorcycle Festival will be going on from June 24 to 28.
The festival will include events ranging from dances to bike building, and events are open to people of all ages. Atlanticade has been growing as an event since its conception in 2007.
Dale Hicks, chairperson of the festival, says "Pre-registration numbers are twice what they were last year. The first year we had about 1,000 people, the second 4,000, and this year we'll get around 5,000 if it snows, and 10,000 if its sunny."
Hicks says this is a unique event, being the only five day motorcycle festival in Canada.
"In the summer, there's an event going on in the Maritimes every weekend," he says. "We wanted to establish ourselves as being something totally different."
By the fifth annual event, Hicks hopes to be able to attract between 15,000 and 20,000 bikers.
Atlanticade is a non-profit organization, and funds generated by the festival are donated to the Children's Wish Foundation. Proceeds from barbeques, bike parking, the Sunday morning auction, Saturday's Show and Shine competition, and Wednesday night's downtown cruise are all donated to Children's Wish.
"We've been fortunate enough to come in around $10,000 (raised) in the past," Hicks says.
There are two significant changes to this year's event that Hicks says participants are particularly happy with. The first change is that this is the first year Atlanticade will be held at one location.
"The first year we had the Delta as registration headquarters," he says. "But the event was scattered all over the place."
As a result, all aspects of the event will be held at Tim Hortons 4 Ice Centre, which is located just off Millenium Blvd.
"Last year we shut down Main St. for two days, and that was headquarters. But what if it rains? We thought, 'We need to get under one roof.'"
The 4 Ice Centre will have a restaurant and bar, two ice surfaces with vendors, a bike building service, and dances.
"If it rains on Saturday for the downtown street party, we'll just bring the band to the Ice Centre...it's a one stop shop as far as the event goes," says Hicks.
The other change made to the motorcycle fest is that registration has been made more flexible: read, it's free to register.
In past years, registration has cost a firm $25. However, some people wanted to attend only one or two events, and they didn't feel as though they should have to pay full registration fees.
This year, then, bikers and bike lovers will have the option to pay as they go. For example, if someone wanted to attend only a dance or only the IMBBA Bike Building Championship, s/he would only have to pay for that particular event.
"That's met with a lot of positive feedback," Hicks says.
Packages are also available as in past years, and more pricing information can be found on the event website.
Hicks says the idea for Atlanticade had been floating around for 10 to 15 years before it came to fruition.
"People thought it was a good idea, but nobody said 'Let's do it'," he says. So, in Jan. 2007, Hicks decided it was going to happen. Planning of the festival occurred over a six month period, and the first event met with success.
Hicks has never looked back.
"More people are getting on board every year. We had a five year plan, and this is our third," he says proudly.
Atlanticade looks at three regions for marketing. The first is the local region, which is defined as being no farther than 45 minutes outside of Moncton. The second is the Maritime region, and the third is comprised of Quebec, Ontario, and the New England states.
"Last year we had people from all across Canada," Hicks says. "People from outside the Maritimes view the event as a vacation "" they'll do the Cabot trail and hit Atlanticade on the way, or on their way back home."
Moncton is going to be quite packed this weekend between the Bon Jovi concert, the multicultural festival, and the Jehovah's Witness convention, so those who haven't booked a place to stay yet will want to get their accommodations under control.
Those who wish to attend Atlanticade can register either online or at event headquarters.
For more information, feel free to contact Atlanticade at info@atlanticade.ca, or check out the event website at www.atlanticade.ca.
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