NWA editorial: The rumble fades

Annual motorcyle rally appears to have gone well

The reports are in -- at least the police reports -- on the 2016 version of Bikes, Blues and BBQ, the 17-year-old motorcycle rally born on Dickson Street that has since 2000 grown into one of the most successful single tourism events in the region.

Fayetteville police and other towns' law enforcement agencies reported few issues arising from the influx of motorcycle enthusiasts and their machines for the four-day rally that ended last Saturday night. In Fayetteville, where the rally is based, police reported 26 arrests, mostly for misdemeanors such as public intoxication. And lest anyone let even that small number of infractions reinforce an idea that the rally brings in the wrong kind of people, keep this in mind: Of those 26 arrests, 22 of them involved people living in Northwest Arkansas.

What’s the point?

Bikes, Blues and BBQ wound down last Saturday night, ending what appears to have been a succesful 17th year for the home-grown motorcycle rally.

The license plates lining Dickson Street, nearby parking lots and side streets, the area around Baum Stadium and Arvest Ballpark in Springdale -- all Bikes, Blues and BBQ venues -- reflected a much more diverse audience. Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Texas were in ample supply. But it was pretty easy to find some from South Dakota, Tennessee, Iowa, Nebraska and places beyond. It's always great to see people experience what the Ozarks have to offer. We suspect many of them departed as new ambassadors to spread the word about the Natural State.

In the four days of the rally, an untold amount of cash changed hands. It's difficult to know precisely what the economic impact is, but drawing that many mouths to feed and bodies that need lodging is the constant goal of local and state tourism promoters. They devote significant resources to brochures and websites specifically targeting motorcycle riders and attempt to lure them by the state's nature beauty and adventurously interesting travel routes. It takes a lot of brochures and websites to draw as many as Bikes, Blues and BBQ does in one four-day period.

A study by the University of Arkansas a decade ago put the impact of the motorcycle rally in the $35 million to $52 million range, but some remain skeptical. Still, even if it's, say, a quarter of those figures, the rally has an impact of $9 million to $13 million. Some might say that's significant. We would.

It seemed to us rider volume was down this year, but that's a guess. Perhaps we'll know more when rally organizers dole out money to area nonprofits. Last December, rally officials turned over around $173,000 to 50 area nonprofit organizations ranging from the Area Agency on Aging to the NWA Women's Shelter to the Yvonne Richardson Center. We'll see how the numbers look later this year.

As always, it was a pleasure to welcome these visitors to our neck of the woods, and it was a relief to send them home after their good time. Motorcycle wrecks in the region led to a couple of fatalities and a few broken bones, but generally speaking, it was a safe few days for most.

Planning will no doubt soon be under way for the 2017 edition of Bikes, Blues and BBQ. The City Council in Fayetteville has passed a new appeals process if two aldermen object to the street/parking closures necessary for an event of this magnitude, so time will tell whether people unhappy with the disruption of the motorcycle onslaught become aggressive in trying to put new constraints on the rally. It's our hope there's no desire in Fayetteville establish roadblocks, or even speed tables, to the future success of this home-grown event. Hopefully, Fayetteville remains a place that cheers success and celebrates an effort that has delivered needed money to local nonprofit organizations.

Commentary on 09/30/2016

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