April 24, 2024

10th Annual Bike Night moves to Saturday

By DENISE CASKEY

Paul Stover of Creston pops a wheelie on his Yamaha FZ-09 as he arrives at the eighth-annual Elm's Club Bike Night in uptown Creston in June 2016. This year's event begins at 4 p.m., and the first 50 bikes to arrive will receive a free T-shirt. (CNA file)

Elms Club Bike Night returns for a 10th year Saturday on North Elm Street.

“All the past years, it’s always been on the Friday between Party in the Park and the Fourth of July,” said Pete Custer. “We decided this year to move it to Saturday because everyone was always fighting to get off work and get down here because we always like to start about 4 p.m.”

Bike Night is a yearly event that’s all about motorcycles and the people who love to ride them.

The first 50 bikes to pull up at Elms Club get a free T-shirt, and the volunteer fire department will be there with a motorcycle it is are raffling off later in the year.

North Elm Street will be blocked off for the event between West Adams and West Montgomery streets and parking will be available for motorcycles in the R Realty parking lot north of Elms Club.

Food will be provided by Little Green Trailer, and Shining Star DJ and Karaoke will kick off the evenings entertainment from 4 to 6 p.m., followed by Blind Dog Buckley from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Fat Moses, comprised of members of old local bands, will round out the night with classic rock and roll starting at 9 p.m.

“The band [Fat Moses] is supposed to be phenomenal,” Custer said. “They played a couple hours up at Bridgewater a couple weekends ago. They went up there to play in front of a live audience just so they could work the kinks out a bit. This will be kind of their debut.”

Bike Night would not be complete without a bikini contest. Girls, and guys, 18 and over are encouraged to enter and strut their stuff at 10 p.m. for a chance to win $100.

Custer said he is taking a cue from Party in the Park and asks that people attending Bike Night be over 16 until 10 p.m. when they need to be 18 and over.

It depends on the weather, Custer said. If it’s rainy or stormy, there won’t be as many people. Holding outdoor events is a gamble with the weather.

“There’s been years when there was literally hundreds,” said Custer. “There’s been years, like last year when it rained, we had 100 people there. Usually we’ve had a pretty good turnout for it.”