2015 Hollister Freedom Rally

The Hollister Freedom Rally will be ending in a couple hours. The weather has been perfect for the three-day event. Not too hot, not too cold. And, the fog burned off early in the morning. Hope the thousands of visitors and locals who attended the motorcycle rally enjoyed themselves.

Hats off to the ConvEXX, the rally's organizer, and to Hollister Police Chief David Westrick for a great job of ensuring a safe and peaceful event.

For more photos of the events, check out Take 25's album on Facebook. You don't need to be a Facebook member or sign on to view it.

Three More Days Until. . .

The Hollister Freedom Rally!

Over this Fourth of July weekend, the number of people in Hollister shall be nearly threefold, if not more, as bikers from all over California, the United States, and even the world rumble in to visit the Birthplace of the American Biker. 

Lots of activities are planned for this free three-day event, from Friday, July 3, to Sunday, July 5. 

Touring Vietnam Veterans Memorial 

The Touring Vietnam Veterans Memorial, hosted by the local Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion branches, will be arriving on Thursday afternoon. It'll be set up at Dunne Park on Seventh Street. For more details, check out this article. 

Friday Contests

Who's got the best tattoos? Join or watch the tattoo contest at the Veteran's Building Stage. Registration is between 2:00 and 2:30 p.m., with the contest starting immediately afterwards. 

The Custom Bike Show is a competition of the best bikes in various categories, such as the Best Custom Bike, Best Bobber, and Best Paint. Participants will display their bikes from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the lawn at the corner of San Benito and Fourth Streets. The award ceremony will be 5:30 p.m. 

Saturday

On Saturday, actors Tommy Flanagan (Chibs) and Mark Boone Junior (Bobby) of Sons of Anarchy will be doing a Meet & Greet at the Veterans Memorial Building, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Starting at 6:15 p.m. on the 7th Street Stage will be the Ms. Hollister Freedom Rally Contest.  For more details, click on this link. 

Live Music All Day Long

Bands will be performing on three stages in Downtown Hollister. Music will run on Friday and Saturday, from 12 to 6 p.m., and on Sunday, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. For the schedule of bands, visit this page.

Live performances will also be happening at Bolado Park, the official campground for the Motorcycle Rally, on Friday and Saturday. Many local bands, such as Change in the Weather and Kizmet, will be performing there from 3:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Admission fee for non-campers is $10. Check out this link for the schedule. 

Headlining Concerts

This year, the rally will feature big-time concerts in Downtown Hollister. The streets will be rocking and rolling with The Fabulous Thunderbirds on Friday and The Guess Who (yes, the Guess Who!) on Saturday. Both concerts start at 7:30 p.m. You can purchase tickets online at the Hollister Freedom Rally web site. 

There's a lot more going on. Check out the Hollister Freedom Rally web site and Facebook page for more info.   

Today, I'm linking up with Our World Tuesday. Click here to check out posts from participants from around the world.

The Quiet Before the V-r-r-r-r-r-mmmm

Come this Friday morning, the streets of Downtown Hollister will be filled with bikers and their motorcycles, and will stay filled until Sunday evening.

We expect tens of thousands of visitors in Hollister over the Fourth of July weekend for the annual Hollister Freedom Rally, a free biker event that is said to be the largest in California. For the details, visit the Hollister Freedom Rally website.

Final Day of Hollister Rally

Tens of thousands of bikers, non-bikers, families, locals, and out-of-town visitors have been having a ball these past three days at the Hollister Rally.

Today, the three-day motorcycle and music street festival will end at 3 PM. And the downtown streets are expected to open around 6 PM.

2014 Hollister Rally: Things to Know

Many thousands of bikers are expected to visit Hollister over the Fourth of July weekend for the Hollister Rally. The free event will be open on Friday and Saturday, from 9 AM to 9 PM, and on Sunday, from 9 AM to 3 PM. 

San Benito Street will be an amazing sight with motorcycles of all sizes and types parked on both sides of the street throughout downtown. Various bands will be playing on three stages—East Street, 4th Street, and 7th Street—throughout the event. Lots of good food will be available at the Food Court on Sixth and East Streets, and two beer gardens will be open at Fifth Street and Seventh Street, both off  San Benito Street.

For more information about the schedule and vendors, go to the Official Hollister Rally website. 

July 3 Street Closures

Tomorrow, the town will be setting up for the rally. The following downtown streets will be closed from 6 AM to midnight.

• East Street, from 4th Street to South Street
• 5th Street, from Monterey Street to Sally Street
• 6th Street, from Monterey Street to Sally Street
• 7th Street, from Monterey Street to Sally Street

Update: San Benito Street will close to traffic at 8 PM.

July 4 Weekend Street Closures

The following downtown streets will be closed from 6 AM on July 4 to 9 PM on July 6:

• San Benito Street, from 4th Street to South Street
• Sally Street, from 5th Street to South Street

The city parking lots downtown will be closed as well. For specific details, click here. 

First Aid Station

A first aid station will be available at the Fire Station on the corner of Fifth Street and Sally Street.

Security and Safety

Police Chief David Westrick has it all covered. If you want to know specifics, read this article "Police Prepared for Biker Rally Crowds" by Adam Breen at BenitoLink.com.

Fourth of July Fireworks

The official Fourth of July fireworks display will be at the Marguerite Maze School on Meridian Street, about a mile east of downtown Hollister. Fourth Street turns into Meridian Street at the intersection after the railroad tracks. The fireworks show will start at 9:15 PM.

Church Fundraisers

The Hollister United Methodist Church, at the corner of 5th and Monterey Streets, will have an All-You-Can-Eat Breakfast from 8 AM to 12 noon on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The breakfast includes pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage patties, orange juice, and coffee. Admission: $12 for adults and $6 for children (12 and under).

St. Luke's Episcopal Church, at 720 Monterey Street (by 7th Street) will be selling lunch, featuring linguica, for $6 from 10 AM to 3 PM on Friday and Saturday. They will also be offering bike parking on those dates for $5.

Enjoy yourselves, everyone!

The 2014 Hollister Rally

Are you ready for the 2014 Hollister Rally?

Come two weekends from now we will have thousands of visitors in our town and county, enjoying the annual biker festivities. The event will run from 9 AM to 9 PM on both Friday (July 4) and Saturday (July 5) and from 9 AM to 3 PM on Sunday (July 6).

To learn more about the schedule and vendors, head over to the Official Hollister Rally website. And, if you'd like to know how Hollister became known as the "Birthplace of the American Biker" and how this annual motorcycle rally came to be, check out this Take 25 to Hollister post written in 2008.

Every weekend hundreds of off-road enthusiasts drive their trucks, carrying or hauling dirt bikes and ATVs up Cienega Road to the Hollister Hills State Vehicle Recreation Area. Individuals, families, and groups come from all over the state for fun-filled rrrrrroarrrrrring up and down the Gabilan slopes.

The park was originally the Harris Ranch, owned by Howard Harris. He built many of the trails for ranching, mining, recreation, and other purposes. For many years Harris operated a private motorcycle park. In 1975 he sold his property to the state and, in October of that year, the first state vehicle recreation area park was opened.

The 2013 Hollister Motorcycle Rally

The Hollister motorcycle rally is back. Big time! It started yesterday and continues until 9 pm. tonight in downtown Hollister.  San Benito Street is closed from Fourth to South Streets for bikers to park their beauties.  To check out the schedule, click over to the Official Hollister Rally Website.

If you want to know about the origins of the motorcycle rally, stop in at the San Benito County Historic Museum at the corner of 5th and West Streets.

By the way, if you want to get married or renew your vows, the opportunity is available in front of the Veterans Memorial Building.

Destination: Birthplace of the American Biker

The theme this week, February 18 to 24,  is Bikers, Motorcycles, and Hollister. . .

A common sight: Visiting bikers taking photos of the cool mural on Wentz Alley.

Bikers rumbling through downtown Hollister on any given day is a regular thing. Many of them are visitors who have come to experience the Birthplace of the American Biker. They come singly, in duos, as trios, and in packs of four or more. Some just drive through as they head to near and far in San Benito County, while others pull up and rest a spell.

How did Hollister become known as the Birthplace of the American Biker? Because of what took place on the July 4th weekend in 1947, in which the City of Hollister decided to commemorate in 1997 with a 50th anniversary biker rally. And, that began the annual motorcycle rally that became known to bikers far and wide. To read more about the 1947 event, go to this page at Take 25 to Hollister.

By the way, the official Hollister Independence Biker Rally is back this year: July 5 and 6, 2013. Head over to The Hollister Rally Web site for information.