Atlanticade revs up
Published Wednesday June 24th, 2009
Third annual motorcycle festival revs up today
The thunderous roar of a thousand motorcycles returns to Metro Moncton today as the city welcomes the third annual Atlanticade Motorcycle Festival, a five-day celebration of life on two wheels for those who live it and an opportunity for non-riders to get a taste of what it is all about.
The festival kicks off today at noon with a barbecue, show & shine and official opening at Moncton's City Hall and continues through Sunday with a big parade around the city and a special tribute to veterans at the Royal Canadian Legion near the YMCA on Vaughan Harvey Boulevard. In between, the city will be roaring with guided motorcycle tours of southeastern New Brunswick, all kinds of contests, food, live entertainment and a competition where professional chopper builders will show off their latest artistic creations.
On Saturday, Moncton's Main Street will be closed off from 5 p.m. to midnight for a big street party and everyone is invited to come down to see the machines and meet the people who have come from all over Canada, parts of the United States and
beyond to catch the action.
Atlanticade chairman Dale Hicks says this year's festival is expected to draw over 5,000 motorcycle riders and visitors to Metro Moncton, which translates into over $3 million in economic spin-offs and tourism benefits for the area.
"The event is geared for the riders but people are more than welcome to come out to the 4-Ice Centre, the downtown street party, the show & shines and the ice cream social," Hicks said. "We want people who don't ride bikes to come out and see what it's all about."
Many of the contests will be chosen by ballots or cheering by the public.
Many of the participants are couples in their 40s to 60s who enjoy travelling by motorcycle. The festival also draws members of the many rider organizations that include police officers, firefighters, church groups and retired military personnel who continue their fight against the unfair stereotype that people who ride motorcycles are members of "biker gangs" involved in violence and crime.
The majority of men and women at Atlanticade come from the ranks of doctors, lawyers, business operators and retired folks from all walks of life who enjoy meeting new and old friends and sharing their tales of life on two wheels.
Hicks and his team of volunteer organizers have travelled to bike shows in Toronto and elsewhere to spread the word of Atlanticade and encourage motorcyclists to come to Moncton.
And it has worked. Last year, riders came from as far away as Alaska, the Northwest Territories and even Ireland.
Paddy Tyson, an Irish motorcyclist who sold his house to finance his trip around the world, had just landed in Halifax when he heard about Atlanticade and decided to drop into Moncton. He made lots of new friends and won the trophy for the participant
from furthest away. But he couldn't take the trophy with him because it wouldn't fit in the already-stuffed saddlebags of his Aprilia touring bike. His travels have been documented in an article in this month's issue of Motorcycle Mojo magazine, where he praises the hospitality of Metro Moncton.
Despite some rainy weather, last year's event was termed a big success by organizers who are hoping for clear skies and bigger crowds. This year's festival falls on the same weekend as several other events in Metro Moncton, including the big outdoor concert at Magnetic Hill featuring Bon Jovi and Bachman-Cummings.
For non-bikers who want to get out and see the custom bikes and meet the people who ride them, there will be lots of opportunities over the next five days.
The first is tonight at the downtown Highfield Square parking lot during the first cruise. This event usually draws several hundred bikes of all shapes and sizes.
Tomorrow night, Riverview Mayor Clarence Sweetland will be joined by Heather Ireland of Biker TV to host an Ice Cream Social on Pinewood Road in Riverview from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The public is welcome and there is no admission charge.
Heather Ireland was a familiar face during last year's Atlanticade as she and cameraman Tom Man shot lots of footage of Metro Moncton and Atlanticade for use in their TV show. She has promised to return again this year because she loves our Maritime hospitality. This year, the festival will be headquartered at the Tim Hortons 4-Ice Centre on Russ Howard Drive, just off Millennium Boulevard. Hicks says the building should work well for the festival because it has a big parking lot, a restaurant, coffee shop and arenas that can be used for the trade show and displays of vintage, rare and custom-built motorcycles competing in the Northeastern Custom Bike Building Championships.
Airbrush artists will also return to show their creativity and compete in a helmet-painting competition. The artists are given identical white helmets and paint them. The customized helmets are then auctioned off for charity. Hicks says professional chopper builders from New Brunswick and Quebec are coming to this year's contest. Last year's winning bike was The Punisher, a custom chopper based on a comic book character that featured a multi-barrelled machine gun. It was built by Frederic (The Rat) Vaillancourt of St-Côme, Quebec, who has promised to bring a truckload of his custom-machines to this year's show.
The biker build-off is the only event where non-riders will be charged an admission fee of $10 for a day pass. The 4-Ice Centre will be filled with custom choppers, vintage bikes, participants in the Coolest Bike in Town contest and a trade show.
Also on hand will be MacNaughton High School Biker Club members, who won a pile of honours in the United States earlier this year. They will show their Betty Bobber bike and hold a bike wash to raise money.
Representatives from the Children's Wish Foundation will also be around through the festival as this is the charity of choice for Atlanticade. Last year they about $10,000 was raised from various events and hot dog sales.
On Friday night, Heather Ireland will host a Biker TV Bash from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Atlantic Motoplex in Dieppe, which is also open to the public.
The big day for the festival is Saturday. It starts with a breakfast from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Toys For Big Boys hosted by Heather Ireland.
After that, a crowd of thousands is expected to gather at the G. Bourque motorcycle dealership on Champlain Street near the old airport terminal for the wild and crazy burnout competition.
On Saturday night, Main Street will be closed off between Botsford and Lutz from 5 p.m. to midnight for the downtown street party that will be going on at the same time as the Bon Jovi concert at Magnetic Hill. There will be live music by the GTOs on the stage in front of City Hall.
Atlanticade highlights
The Atlanticade Motorcycle Festival takes place in Moncton today through Sunday. Many of the events are open to the public and free of charge. Here are highlights
of the event schedule:
Today
* Atlanticade festival kicks off today at noon with a barbecue and official opening ceremony at Moncton City Hall.
* Atlanticade registration desk open from 12:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Tim Hortons 4-Ice Centre off Millennium Boulevard.
* Downtown Cruise-In at Highfield Square from 5:30 to 9 p.m (open to the public, no admission charge)
* Melanie Doane concert at the Capitol Theatre at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at the Capitol Theatre Box Office.
Tomorrow
* Registration desk open at the 4-Ice Centre from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
* Northeastern Custom Bike Building Championship and Vendor Village at the 4-Ice Centre from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. See custom, vintage, rare and strange motorcycles, along with a wide variety of vendors selling motorcycle clothing and accessories. Visitors can vote for their the people's choice awards. Admission is $10 for adults and students, free for children 12 and under.
* Riverview Mayor Clarence Sweetland and Heather Ireland of Biker TV will host an Ice Cream Social on Pinewood Road in Riverview from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Public is welcome, no admission charge.
Friday
* Registration desk open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the 4-Ice Centre.
* Northeastern Custom Bike Building Championship and Vendor Village at the 4-Ice Centre from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. See custom, vintage, rare and strange motorcycles, long with a wide variety of vendors selling motorcycle clothing and accessories. Visitors can vote for the People's Choice awards. Admission is $10 for adults and students, free for children 12 and under.
* Biker TV Bash hosted by Heather Ireland takes place, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Atlantic Motoplex in Dieppe. Open to the public.
* Concert by Moncton group The Watermen at the 4-Ice Centre, 9 p.m.
Saturday
* Atlanticade Registration desk opens at 9 a.m. at the 4 Ice Centre and goes until 5 p.m.
* HOG Wild breakfast at Toys For Big Boys on the Salisbury Road, hosted by Heather Ireland, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Open to the public.
* Final day of the Northeastern Custom Bike Building Championship and Vendor Village at the 4-Ice Centre from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. See custom, vintage, rare and strange motorcycles, along with a wide variety of vendors selling motorcycle clothing and accessories. Visitors can vote for their the people's choice awards. Admission is $10 for adults and students, free for children 12 and under.
* The popular Atlanticade Burnout competition goes today from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at G. Bourque in Dieppe. Open to the public, free admission.
* Main Street in Moncton will be closed off between Botsford and Lutz from 5 p.m. to midnight to become amotorcycle-only zone for the downtown Street party. the public is welcome.
* Finals of the Motorcyle Mojo Show n Shine through by public voting.
* tour the Moncton Wildcats team bus for a $1 donation to the children's Wish Foundation
* Shows by the hub city Stunters in the oultons college parking lot, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.
* Finals of the hot Wing championship at the Moncton alehouse, 8 p.m.
* Live performance by the Gtos on stage at Moncton city hall
* Show by Moncton's old School at Studio 700
Sunday
* parade of iron horses, will depart from the 4-ice centre at high noon. the parade will travel along Millennium boulevard, Killam drive and edinburgh to Salisbury road, then across the petitcodiac causeway, up Findlay boulevard to Gunningsville boulevard. the best viewing spot for the public could be along Gunningsville boulevard, the Gunningsville bridge and Vaughan harvey boulevard to the YMca.
* the parade will end at the Veterans health care centre next to Moncton branch 6, royal canadian Legion. it will be immediately followed by a veterans' honour rally from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
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