Businesses delight in Atlanticade - Jul. 07, 2010
Motorbikes gather in downtown St. Andrews for a street party Saturday night. Officials estimate 5,000 bikers registered for Atlanticade, with as many as 5,000 more unregistered visitors through the weekend.
BY BARB RAYNER
barbrayn@nbnet.nb.ca
ST. ANDREWS - Many of the 10,000 motorcycle enthusiasts who came to town for Atlanticade over the weekend enjoyed it so much they have already booked their motel rooms for next year.
The feeling seems to be mutual as a number of business people reported a successful weekend as well as meeting some great people who couldn’t say enough good things about St. Andrews.
Melanie Hall, director of operations for the St. Andrews Motor Inn and Kennedy Inn, said they enjoyed a phenomenal weekend and the people they met were fantastic.
“Everyone enjoyed it and people are already booking us for next year. Kennedy Inn is already sold out for next year.
The Motor Inn is already 70 per cent booked, Hall added.
“It was incredible and the people were absolutely wonderful.
They were great to our staff. They kept saying how much they liked it and the town was wonderful to them.
“A lot of them are saying they don’t want it to be for the next three years – they want it to be an annual event. They were thrilled with the town and thrilled with the people in the town.
They were very impressed with the hospitality.”
Hall said guests at the two businesses included people from Maine, Massachusetts, Nova Scotia and Quebec and she estimated the bikers brought in about $3 million extra in business to the town over the four days of Atlanticade.
It was a similar story at the Greenside Motel where Dareth Thorne, who owns the motel with her husband Reg, said they already have 11 rooms booked for next year.
“It was wonderful and they loved it here. They thought it was wonderful because in Moncton the events were spread out in different locations and here they were able to park their bikes and walk everywhere.”
They had one couple who only stayed for a couple of nights but she said the couple has booked for the whole week next year.
Traffic into town Thursday for the Canada Day celebrations was a challenge, however.
“It was backed up to the water tower and the same for those coming in from Bayside and that lasted for a couple of hours on Thursday. It was unbelievable,” said Thorne.
But that was a minor detraction from an overall success.
“It was better than we ever expected. I have no complaints.
Normally we are not busy on the long weekend and we had 48 rooms booked in those three days.”
There was a further enthusiastic response from Sherry Hooper, manager of Cockburns Drug Store right on Water Street where so many events took place.
“I cannot say enough good about this. Obviously it boosted our sales but equally important was just the excitement. I was in town all four days and what I found with local people was it was a big social gathering.
“It was fabulous. All the Atlanticade participants were fabulous. People were so impressed with our town and with the services that were offered to them.
“They felt they were treated like royalty and they loved the town and couldn’t say enough good about it. I never heard one negative comment from an Atlanticade participant or a local. I am just happy for the town because we have made such a positive impression.”
Hooper said when she was talking to one couple she mentioned that there was a senior citizen in town, Lexie Smith, who would love to have a ride on a motorcycle.
“They took it upon themselves to speak to (organizer) Dale Hicks and Lexie got her ride and it was filmed for Biker TV.
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