Come the weekend of Sept. 16 and 17, motorcyclists will flood Cottonwood for the 16th annual Thunder Valley Rally — causing an increase in economic activity Verde Valley-wide but also presenting an issue for the more low-key visitor and local looking for a weekend activity.
Enter Clarkdale. This year, the Clarkdale Downtown Business Alliance is inviting people to take a poker stroll down Main Street. Beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday, participants will pick up entry forms and their first playing cards at the Copper Art Museum on the corner of Main and Ninth streets. From there, they will visit six additional establishments in Clarkdale’s Historic Downtown Business district.
“Loiter in the shady park or amble through a quaint neighborhood,” CDBA representative Robyn Prud’homme-Bauer stated. “Enjoy a tasty beverage and delicious lunch. Make your best hand from the seven cards you’ve collected and turn it in at the Boat House Bar and Grill by 3 p.m. The best hand wins a terrific Clarkdale gift basket.”
The event is free and family-friendly, but poker players must be at least 21 years of age.
Though the town of Clarkdale does not participate officially in Thunder Valley Rally, Prud’homme-Bauer said that the CDBA will have flyers at the larger event promoting the poker stroll. Furthermore, many businesses along Clarkdale’s Main Street will be putting out signs welcoming bikers to their establishments.
“The CDBA is supportive of any events that bring people to the Verde Valley,” Prud’homme-Bauer added. “Our hope is that visitors will find time to explore areas around Cottonwood that can add to their Thunder Valley Rally experience, like visiting Clarkdale. The poker stroll is a fun way to visit some of our businesses and museums, and enjoy our beautiful town park and historic downtown.”
According to Prud’homme-Bauer, Clarkdale offers a variety of experiences unmatched in the Verde Valley, particularly when it comes to history and the Verde River.
“The Copper Art Museum and the Clarkdale Historical Museum are great ways to get to know the history of our area and our copper heritage …. Also our gateway to the places and recreational activities along the Verde River are vast: Tuzigoot National Monument, Verde River Greenway, kayaking the river from Tapco to Tuzigoot and access to Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Area.”
One of the primary reasons to promote Clarkdale as an alternative place to visit during Thunder Valley Rally, Prud’homme-Bauer said, is to inform people of the small community’s singular assets — some of which locals may not even be aware.
“We want to be known as a place where we have fun,” Prud’homme-Bauer explained. “We welcome new businesses to Clarkdale and we want to have people come visit and see how much we enjoy being in Clarkdale. We are not just a tourist town but a place where people can work, live and play.”
