Hundreds of bikes come out for Hog Daze Night
Hundreds of bikes come out for Hog Daze Night
Inaugural event sees at least 325 motorcycles in attendance
By Mishele WRight
mdwright@chroncle-tribune.com
Published: Sunday, September 19, 2010 1:07 AM EDT
Hundreds of motorcycle riders came to the “Home of the Hog” to celebrate the city’s motorcycle
history Saturday. Aletha Dunston, Main Street Marion president and city planner, said the inaugural Hog Daze Night event went well, with at least 325 motorcycles and 250 riders in attendance. Though most people were from Indiana, she said some people came from Michigan and Kentucky to participate in theChasing Tail ride.
“We didn’t know what to expect,” Dunston said. “We were happy with the turnout for the first year.” Main Street Marion and city officials have spent the last two months planning the event to mark the city as “Home of the Hog,” after a 1920 Marion International Motorcycle Race. During the race, motorcycle rider Ray Weishaar took a victory lap with a pig sitting on top of his bike. A famous photo of the two was taken. This event, as well as additional appearances of the pig, contributed to the nickname for the Harley Davidson racing team, the Hog Boys. It also led to the long-lasting reference to Harleys as hogs.
Dunston said there were few problems during the event Saturday. Though it rained for a few minutes and there was a temporary power outage during the hog roast, she said the glitches didn’t affect attendance.
“All in all, everybody came back from the ride happy,” she said. Several motorcycle enthusiasts said they were surprised to learn about the city’s bike history. “It’s pretty cool,” said Carol Dennison. “This is the first time I learned about it, and I’ve lived here all my life.”
She said the event is a great way to bring more people into the city.Gas City resident Suzie Everhart said she rode in the Chasing Tail ride with her friend Randy Ott. “It was nice,” she said. “There were a lot of motorcycles. It was so amazing. We couldn’t see the end behind us, and we couldn’t see the beginning in front of us.” In addition to the ride, she said she was having fun visiting with friends, eating, watching the motorcycle stunts and listening to music.
Everhart said the turnout at Hog Daze Night appeared high, and she believes the festival has the
potential to become an even larger event in the future. “It’s obvious now that it’s pretty big around here,” she said about motorcycle riding. Harley rider Archie Davis, Marion, said the city’s motorcycle history is exciting, and he thinks the event will expand in the future because of the history. Though he didn’t participate in the motorcycle rally, Davis said he met many riders and was having fun. “I hope to see it in the future,” he said. Steven Raterink and his girlfriend Julie Hoezee said they were having a great time Saturday looking at all the motorcycles.
“There are a lot of custom-made bikes where guys add something fancy to their bikes, but they’re all
different,” Raterink said. The couple spent most of the day at the event looking at bikes, eating food and listening to the live entertainment.
“We’re going to be here until they kick us out tomorrow morning,” Raterink said at 6 p.m.
Dunston said she hopes Hog Daze Night can be two days next year. She also said organizers in the
future plan to use more space for the event, from the Mississinewa River to Ind. 18 and Ballard Field.
She said the event would definitely grow next year.
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