Thunder Valley Rally will continue in Old Town Cottonwood for the time being.
There was a bit of doubt in the community after initial discussion by the Cottonwood City Council last month covered the results of the annual September motorcycle rally and whether Cottonwood was the right fit for such an event.
The most recent rally brought in an estimated 10,000 people into Old Town and cost the town a little more than $60,000, according to city estimates.
By most accounts, the event was far more successful than it was last year, when it was handled by a promoter. It was the experience that brought in lots of complaints, according to Cottonwood Recreation Services Supervisor Hezekiah Allen.
This year, the bulk of planning was handled by city staff and a committee made up of two elected officials and others with an interest in the event from around the city, the Verde Valley area and beyond.
Some merchants in Old Town argued that they didn’t like the event; they felt it created safety issues and cost them business. Others didn’t mind, arguing that the event is a good thing for Cottonwood, one that brings exposure for the city and repeat business with rally participants that come back to visit later.
A study of the rally was conducted by Northern Arizona University but some people, including Councilman Tim Elinski, felt that the study results might be somewhat skewed because of the people who were interviewed.
The event was estimated to have an economic impact in the region of $1.6 million.
The city’s staff was asked to survey merchants in town to get a bigger picture.
Allen said that the city went to the Old Town Association to survey businesses in Old Town and to the Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce to survey businesses across the city.
Allen said the responses were given over the Internet to avoid any possible bias and that the survey was set up so that only one vote could be recorded from a particular computer.
The surveys returned above-average response rates, Allen said, and most of the respondents were in favor of keeping the rally going.
So were most of the people who attended the council’s Dec. 1 meeting to speak in favor of the issue, many of them bikers themselves.
Ari Levenbaum is vice president of marketing with Law Tigers, a law firm that specializes in motorcycle injury cases that has been a major sponsor of the Thunder Valley Rally.
“I have been impressed with every aspect of the event, including how well the event has accommodated us,” Levenbaum said. “It’s a successful event that needs to continue.”
Others were there to defend what many in the audience felt was an outdated and maligned image of bikers, although every member of the council explained that they have no issues with motorcycle enthusiasts.
Dennis Parks, owner of Cottonwood Motor Sports, said his business was terrible the weekend of the rally but more than makes up for it with the connections and return business that comes to his shop.
“To think that these people just put on leathers and act tough for the weekend is ridiculous,” Parks said. “These people are doctors and lawyers.”
Councilman Terence Pratt, also a member of the rally organizing committee, said he was struck by the types of people he met at the rally, including Christian groups, former law enforcement groups and people working to raise money to prevent child abuse.
“I think the people that attend this event are good citizens, they have fun,” Pratt said. “I think it is a good event for Cottonwood.”
Mayor Diane Joens agreed.
“We just had a motorcycle ride that brought in $1,500 for the local teen center,” Jones said. “These are people who go out and do good things for others, it’s what they do.”
Not everyone was so supportive of continuing the event.
Mike Kilpatrick, owner of Verde Valley Olive Oil Traders in Old Town, said the weekend of the rally was “devastating” for his business.
Kilpatrick said he had an issue with people smoking cigarettes outside his door and people dirtying up his restroom without buying anything.
“I’m really not opposed to Thunder Valley Rally, I would just like to see it moved out of Old Town,” Kilpatrick said. “As a business owner I just ask to have a little respect for me and give me my weekend back.”
Trevor Gottschalk runs the Old Town Frame Company and expressed similar concerns about the effect of the rally on his business.
Larry Cohen, president of the Old Town Association and owner of Larry’s Antiques and Things, said his business also didn’t do particularly well during the rally.
Still, Cohen said he supports the event, which raised $12,500 for the association, as well as money for other causes like the planned Verde Valley Military Veterans Park.
“I’ve seen what Old Town was like 10 to 15 years ago and what it is today, and it’s all because of exposure,” Cohen said.
Rose Ortiz, another member of the committee, took issue with one statement from the November meeting about buckets full of knives being collected at one local Old Town bar and said that while there was a bucket, most knives were smaller than the pocket knife she carries.
Ortiz also questioned the idea that Thunder Valley Rally isn’t a family-friendly event.
“Is this because of the alcohol being served or the appearance of the people in attendance?” Ortiz asked.
If it’s because of the alcohol, Ortiz said there are many other local events like the Verde Valley Fair and Walkin’ on Main that shouldn’t be deemed family-friendly.
Councilman Randy Garrison ultimately voted to keep the rally going but did voice some of his concerns.
“Welcoming bikers, that’s just part of the conversation,” Garrison said. “At the end of the day somebody has to pay for this. The loss to the city is $63,000. Our budget is cut to the bone here, we just don’t have a lot of money to do things that don’t bring in revenue.”
The committee is following a five-year plan that it hopes will eventually bring in money from the rally or at least break even, according to Allen.
Elinski, who cast the lone vote in opposition to continuing the rally, said he has opposed the rally since it first was handed over to Cottonwood from Cliff Castle Casino.
It’s not because he’s opposed to bikers, Elinski said, noting he rides a motorcycle himself. Elinski said it was about whether or not Cottonwood was the right place for the rally.
“The motorcycling community has every right to have a rally,” Elinski said. “At the end of the day I have to provide a budget that’s fair to the entire community. We don’t have the tax base to support something of this magnitude. Cottonwood can’t sustain this far into the future without more support from outlying communities.”
One thing that the council seemed to have a consensus about was that if the rally keeps growing, it’s going to outgrow the limited confines of Old Town.
Councilman Ruben Juaregui said that he would like to see other locations considered for hosting parts of the rally, like the fairgrounds or Riverfront Park.
Cottonwood Community Services General Manager Richard Faust said that the event is still rebounding and is too small to divide up right now.
“If we split things, if we delve it out from where it’s at, we’re going to lose this event,” Faust said.
The council directed the rally to continue in Old Town while the committee continues to examine how to grow and sustain the event in the future.
