Police, Emergency Personnel Plan To Stand Out

FAYETTEVILLE — The answer to medical emergencies, police calls or traffic jams at Bikes, Blues & BBQ all come down to one simple color. If you’ve got a problem, think yellow.

Security personnel in and around the beer gardens in parking lots outside the Walton Arts Center downtown and Baum Stadium in south Fayetteville will be wearing the the neon hue. Out on the streets and in vendor areas surrounding the stadium, reflective yellow traffic vests make police officers from Fayetteville, Washington County and the University of Arkansas, as well as paramedics from Central Emergency Medical Services, stand out among the crowd.

“We want people to be able to spot us, and the vests make us much more visible,” Sgt. Doug Pope, events coordinator for the Fayetteville Police Department, told downtown merchants.

Police, paramedics and other security personnel will cover the rally nonstop, from this morning until Sunday morning.

“There aren’t a lot of changes for us this year in terms of how we operate,” said Mike Neville, security coordinator for the beer gardens. “We’re using more T-shirt security and fewer uniformed officers to cut back on cost this year, but there’s still plenty of uniforms nearby.”

Past rallies haven’t produced many problems, according to Fayetteville police. Arrests average about the same as a weekend when the Razorbacks have a home football game.

The only major incident — a stabbing after a ZZ Top concert in 2007 — turned out to be locals who had been fighting and happened to see each other at the concert.

“Honestly, we don’t have problems with the bikers,” said Nelson Driver, rally director. “Where we see things go bad is locals who use the rally as an excuse to get a little out of hand.”

Tactics and logistics have evolved as the rally has grown over the last decade, as organizers improved on plans from previous rallies and stole ideas from other big motorcycle venues. The yellow vests and the roving teams of police and paramedics are both borrowed from Daytona Beach, where they work well during that city’s two annual bike rallies. The decision to close West Avenue between Spring and Lafayette streets came from Fayetteville firefighters, who had trouble in previous years getting fire engines through rows of parked motorcycles.

“We’ve really promoted the family-friendly aspect of this event, and I think everybody’s on the same page,” Driver said. “I hope nobody needs help from a police officer or EMT, but if they do, we’ll get them whatever help they need.”

Partnership Brings Mall Scene Back To Rally

FAYETTEVILLE — Bikes, Blues & BBQ is returning to the Northwest Arkansas Mall — sort of.

The Arkansas Music Pavilion is hosting concerts in conjunction with the festival, although the music is not officially part of the rally.

Rally organizers have partnered with AMP owners Brian Crowne and Dan Allen, who are running things at and around the pavilion. It’s called Bikes, Blues and Hot Rods Too.

As the name implies, there’s a car show involved. Other attractions include concerts, helicopter rides, a custom-built chopper and a guitar museum.

Bikes, Blues & BBQ abandoned the mall as a rally site after 2003, when the barbecue contest drew only a few competitors and the Blues Traveler/Neville Brothers concert tanked on slow ticket sales.

“The years we were at the mall were not good for us,” said Bill Ramsey.

Ramsey was executive director for the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce for eight years, and joined the board of directors for Bikes, Blues & BBQ in 2006. “We lost money on the concert and that’s why we had no money for charities. If we can get the mall back into the mix with a third party, that’s good.”

Two major differences separate Bikes, Blues and Hot Rods Too from the first attempt to make a go of the mall area as a venue, Allen said.

“First, we’ve got a lot more going on out there. It’s a destination for a lot of things, not just in-and-out for the concert,” he said. “Second, of course, is the fact that we’ve got an established music venue in the AMP, which wasn’t in existence yet the last time the mall was a part of the equation.”

Allen and Crowne’s Majestic Concerts is also getting on board with the charity aspect of the main rally, donating a percentage of profit to the Ozark Blues Society and Youth Bridge. Youth Bridge contributes by running the merchandise booths, while the blues society handles food and drink service.

“We’ve partnered with Brian and Dan on events in the past, and it’s always worked out well for us,” said Holland Hayden, director of communications for Youth Bridge. “He asked us to participate, and we jumped at the chance. It’s something different for people to do besides just ride up and down Dickson Street or sit in front of the stage. I think it will be a really good thing for everybody.”

For Bikes, Blues & BBQ leaders, it’s a chance to incorporate nationally known music acts without the financial risk of past years.

“Our board is a bit leery of big-name concerts because they haven’t always done so well, but we’re glad we could partner and get acts like Marshall Tucker and Molly Hatchet into the mix this year,” said Nelson Driver, rally director. “We didn’t have a great experience at the mall, but a lot has changed since then.”

Mall administrators are glad to be a venue once again.

“We love it,” said Diane Dunlap, marketing manager for the mall. “We’re excited, our merchants are excited with all the people coming to town. It’ll be a different type of venue for Bikes, Blues & BBQ.”

Dunlap said the mall is gearing up to make the venue family friendly.

“People really need to come and see the Liberty Cycle,” Dunlap said. “It’s made from pieces of the original Statute of Liberty. With the cars on display, it’ll be especially fun for families to come out and shop and enjoy the displays.”

Allen also expects a lot of bikers taking an interest in their four-wheeled counterparts in the car show.

“A gearhead is a gearhead, no matter how many wheels,” Allen said. “There’s a lot of crossover among these guys and their interests.”

‘AMP’ed Up
Bikes, Blues and Hot Rods Too will host events in and around the Arkansas Music Pavilion Thursday through Saturday.

Thursday

• Boss Hoss demonstration rides
• Gibson Guitar Museum Bus
• Car show
• Helicopter rides
• Beer and food vendors
• Concert featuring Nace Brothers, Blackfoot and Molly Hatchet

Friday

• Boss Hoss demonstration rides
• Gibson Guitar Museum Bus
• Car show
• Helicopter rides
• Beer and food vendors
• Concert featuring Steve Pryor, Oreo Experience and the Marshall Tucker Band

Saturday

• Car show judging
• Boss Hoss demonstration rides
• Gibson Guitar Museum Bus
• Helicopter rides
• Beer and food vendors
• Blues music by regional bands

Music at the Arkansas Music Pavilion

Thursday

• 5 p.m.: Gates open for Molly Hatchet/ Blackfoot ($10 admission)

Friday

• 5 p.m.: Gates open for The Marshall Tucker Band ($10 admission)

Saturday

• 10-11 a.m.: Nathan Aronowitz and Friends
• 11:15 a.m.-noon: Ocie Fisher with Planet X
• 12:15-1:15 p.m.: Dave Stiles Band
• 1:30-2:45 p.m.: Tightrope
• 3:15-4:30 p.m.: Mike Dollins and The Cruize Brothers
• 4:45-5:45: John D. Levan and The Thunderboltz
• 6-7:15 p.m.: Fabulous High Tops
• 7:30-10 p.m.: Jam session

Source: Staff Report

FAYETTEVILLE — Bikes, Blues & BBQ and the Arkansas Music Pavilion will partner to provide music and a car show during the annual motorcycle rally.

Molly Hatchet and Blackfoot were already scheduled to play the AMP on Thursday, with the Marshall Tucker Band playing Friday. A portion of the $10 ticket sales will be donated to Bikes, Blues & BBQ, said Brian Crowne, owner of the AMP.

The pavilion will also feature regional blues acts free on Saturday, as well as a car show throughout the rally.

The partnership provides the rally with another destination, and should help ease congestion on Dickson Street and at the Randal Tyson Track Center, said Nelson Driver, rally coordinator.

The rally lost about $50,000 trying to draw people to a concert and barbecue contest around the Northwest Arkansas Mall in 2003, but this year’s partnership means the rally doesn’t have to spend on infrastructure or to bring in bands, Driver said.

“There’s no financial risk, no big cash layout involved this time around,” he said.
For information, go to www.bikesbluesandhotrods.com.

Show up with your dog in the sidecar of your Suzuki and you could be going home sooner than expected. A city policy, passed earlier this year, gives police the power to ditch dogs at certain events. Police Chief Greg Tabor said dogs will not be allowed on Dickson Street for the festival.

Individual business owners can decide whether or not to let your hound hang out, but dogs chillin’ on Dickson Street can be sent home by police.

Nelson Driver, festival coordinator, said dogs won’t be welcome at the track center during the day, either.

In an effort to spread out the crowd, festival-sanctioned events are planned in Eureka Springs, Jasper, Lincoln and north of Ozark, Nelson Driver, festival coordinator, said.

“There have always been destinations outside of Fayetteville that attract riders, and we’re trying to encourage people to get out and see the country,” Driver said. “The point of going to a rally is to ride, and this gives them some ideas and options.”

Fido needs to find somewhere else in Fayetteville.

Police Chief Greg Tabor has banned dogs from Dickson Street because of the large crowd. Tabor has the authority through the city’s animal ordinance to ditch dogs at certain large gatherings.

Festival coordinator Nelson Driver said dogs aren’t allowed at the Tyson Track Center, too.

There are other options for letting Lassie live it up, said Jill Hatfield, animal services director for the city.

“We do have great parks and trails in this city,” Hatfgield said.

Dogs must be vaccinated and kept on a leash in city parks, she added.

The only place a dog can run free is Fayetteville’s dog park, behind the animal shelter at 1640 Armstrong Road in south Fayetteville. The park has toys and water for dogs. It’s open from 8 a.m. until dark, Hatfield said.