SNOHOMISH — The organizers of a bike show that draws thousands to downtown Snohomish have canceled this year’s show after a late night meeting Wednesday.
It’s unlikely the event will ever take place in Snohomish again, organizers say.
The motorcycle group that puts on the Old Snohomish Antique &Classic Motorcycle Show said they can’t afford to pay thousands more in fees this year.
City officials wanted organizers to pay $30,360 for 44 police officers to staff the event. The Sky Valley chapter of the American Bikers Aimed Towards Education paid about $5,000 last year.
The event drew an estimated 22,000 last year, and police say they need more officers because they are concerned about the potential for motorcycle gang violence. There have been no major incidents in the 12 years of the show.
The group feels “disappointed and relieved,” organizer Rod Hobelman said this morning.
The group considered moving the show to Sultan, but they decided they didn’t have time to regroup before the May event. He said the group didn’t learn about the fees until January after forms and brochures had already been sent to the printer.
“If we did it in Snohomish it would have been a cookie-cutter event,” Hobelman said. “We’ve done it for 12 years exactly the same way. We know exactly where every port-a-potty and vendor goes.”
This isn’t the end of the show.
The group hasn’t decided on a location for next year’s show, but they’re still talking with Sultan officials and have placed calls to the Tulalip Tribe.
Hobelman said the Sultan City Council has said it might be willing to pay for any extra security costs.
The Snohomish police chief had suggested the group find other ways to raise the money for security, including setting up gates and charging admission fees. In the past, other agencies had donated time for extra security coverage and they can’t afford to do that any longer.
The motorcycle group decided it wasn’t practical to charge admission and they wanted to keep the event a free family event, Hobelman said.
“We’re already planning for next year,” he said. “It will give us a year to plan a bigger and better event.”
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