Excitement grows for Hog Daze

Excitement grows for Hog Daze Night

Events officially start at noon

By Courtney Flynn

cflynn@chronicle-tribune.com

Published: Saturday, September 18, 2010 1:07 AM EDT

Engines were roaring and tents were popping up just east of Ballard Field on Ind. 18 along the
Mississinewa River on Friday evening for the beginningof the Hog Daze Night events. While the events don’t officially start until noon today, music was blaring, food vendors were open
and activities, such as cornhole, were already set up for the early campers to enjoy.

“It’s pretty low-key,” Jennifer Seybold, director of Main Street Marion, said of the Friday night events.

However, Friday night received more entertainment than the organizers were originally expecting. Bobby Glasscock, owner of the DJ company Bobby G and Company, showed up early Friday evening and told the event organizers he wanted to donate his time Friday and today. Glasscock said he would be playing music all Friday night and in between the 14 bands, or nine hours of music, on Saturday.

He said when he has his music playing today, he will also be participating in some of the events, such
as the Chasing Tail ride at 2 p.m. and the motorcycle barrel role. Glasscock said he will use his Harley
Davidson for the activities and knows all the friends he invited will do the same. Dave Miller, owner of Miller’s Monster Bikes in La Fontaine, said he also invited all of his motorcycle friends. He said he already knew clubs from Arkansas, Kentucky and Mississippi would be coming because of the invitations he extended.

Miller said he was not only excited to spend time with his friends, promote his business and enjoy
everything the event had to offer, but the history meant a lot to him, too. His grandfather raced in the 1920 Marion International Motorcycle Race that the Hog Daze Night event is commemorating, he said.

This particular race is being remembered in Marion 90 years later because in 1920, Harley Davidson
rider Ray Weishaar took his victory lap with a small pig after winning the Marion race. As Weishaar and
the pig finished cruising through Marion together, a now famous picture of the two was taken. This pig
appearance, and future ones with a Harley Davidson racing team, contributed to the team’s nickname,
Hog Boys. It also contributed to the long lasting reference of Harleys as “hogs.”

“It’s a historical moment in time,” Miller said. This moment will not only be celebrated with the race, but also a history tent replaying the race on video.

Miller said he is expecting the event to be big this year, and even bigger next year, because there will
be a whole year to plan the 2011 Hog Daze event, instead of the two months Main Street Marion and
the rest of the city of Marion and vendors had this year.

Seybold said she expects the event to span the whole weekend next year and possibly utilize more
space.

Be Sociable, Share!