Raleigh's Capital City Bikefest

Capital City Bikefest kick-starts its 10th year in downtown Raleigh with parades, stunt shows, live music, and over 100,000 people expected in attendance. The Ray Price Motorsports Expo also debuts inside the Raleigh Convention Center with a custom bike show and more.

 

Add it all up and Capital City Bikefest is the destination for a great Raleigh, North Carolina festival, said Mark Hendrix.

Downtown Raleigh streets roar to life once again Sept. 26-28, 2014 during the 10th annual Ray Price Capital City Bikefest, presented by Nationwide Insurance. The festival features a wide range of events, including live music, stunt shows, fashion shows, a tattoo festival, and a huge custom bike show, all in the heart of one of America's fastest-growing cities. Capital City Bikefest is the state’s largest motorcycle festival, with more than 100,000 people expected to attend. New this year to coincide with the 10th Anniversary, the Ray Price Motorsports Expo will debut inside the Raleigh Convention Center, featuring a custom bike show with $15,000 in prizes.

Must-See Schedule of Events at Capital City Bikefest this weekend include:

•     Parade of Lights – Motorcyclists light up downtown Raleigh on Friday night with uniquely glowing bikes.
•     Custom Bike Show – A competition of extraordinary custom bikes with professional builders matched against hobbyists to take home $15,000 in prizes. Popular television shows from “Biker Battleground” (History Channel) to “Biker Live” and “Biker Build-Off” (Discovery) have fueled the customization rage. Visit the Motorsports Expo to see this showcase of phenomenal paint, polish, powder coating, chrome, body and electronics customizing skills. Some of the bike builders confirmed: 40 Cal (Alcoa, Tenn., featured on Biker Live), Butcher Chop (Dry Fork, Va.), Crazy Beavers Customs (Clayton, N.C., featured in Road Iron), Cyclone Cycles (Houston), Gangster Choppers (Richmond, Va.), Garwood Custom Cycles (Lexington, N.C., featured on Speed and MTV), Holy City Designs (Summerville, S.C.), Ludwigsen Motor Co. (Stedman, N.C., featured in Roadracing World), KW Customs (Angier, N.C.), One Time Customs (China Grove, N.C.), T-n-A Customs (Sanford, N.C.), Vindictive Wayz (Rutherfordton, N.C.), Widowmaker Custom Design (Rougemont, N.C., featured on Biker Live), and many more.
•     “Live” Custom Bike Build by Ray Price Performance – See a bike built from the frame up in three days! It will tour with Kangaroo Express’ “Salute Our Troops” campaign next year and be brought back for the 2015 Bikefest to be raffled off for charity.
•     More than 20 live bands playing on three stages, indoors and outside. All music is free. Performances by 13-year-old rocker Brooks Paul, and upcoming country artist Amanda Daughtry.
•     1000 HP Nitro Drag Bike – Ray Price Motorsports Racing Team is currently in first place in the NHRA drag bike standings. Fans come from all over to meet the legend and hear the engine roar of the world’s fastest naturally aspirated motorcycle.
•     Tattoofest – More than 75 tattoo artists will showcase their talents live.
•     Pin-up Contest – Check out the 1940s rockabilly and garage-style Pin-up Contest, winners appear in Dames, Planes & Automobiles Magazine.
•     Stunt Shows – Some of the world's greatest stunt riders will thrill audiences with amazing BMX bike and motorcycle feats. “Godfather of freestyle,” Jason Britton, the world’s most highly recognized stunt rider will perform all weekend. Britton is known for Hollywood stunt work in films such as “Torque” and his own Speed Channel TV show. Plus, the Globe of Death with Insane Obando Riders, Adam Holbrook, Keith King, Strongwoman Juli Moody and many other stunt artists performing indoors and outside.

“Add it all up and Capital City Bikefest is the destination for a great North Carolina festival, and a huge visitor weekend in Raleigh for bikers from across the Southeast and along the East Coast,” said Mark Hendrix, general manager of Ray Price Harley-Davidson and Ray Price Triumph, the organizer of Capital City Bikefest.

Capital City Bikefest was formed in 2005 in partnership with the City of Raleigh to become North Carolina’s largest downtown motorcycle rally, held in Raleigh’s Moore Square. The next year, it became the first festival created by a local business to bring a fresh roar of life back to newly re-opened Fayetteville Street, attracting 65,000 attendees. Named the nation’s “Best Event” by powersports industry publication Dealernews, Capital City Bikefest celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with annual attendance estimated at more than 100,000 visitors. Activities this year benefit the nonprofits USO of North Carolina and U.S. Veterans Corps. Ray Price Capital City Bikefest has been presented by title sponsor Nationwide Insurance for the past eight years.

Follow the festivities on Twitter: @RayPriceHD and #BikefestRaleigh.
For more than 30 years, Ray Price Harley-Davidson in Raleigh, N.C. has served as one of the Southeast’s top motorcycle dealerships and is home to Hall-of-Fame racing legend Ray Price.

Mayberry Days Parade

New 2014 and 2015 model cars from Mount Airy Toyota and Mount Airy Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram will be driven in the Mayberry Days Parade. The dealerships are official sponsors of the Mayberry Days Events. 

We are proud to be the Official Dealership Sponsor for the Mayberry Days Celebration! Scott McCorkle 

The excitement is building up once again for the annual Mayberry Days Festival held in Mount Airy, North Carolina. This year the Surry Arts Council will be celebrating its 25th year hosting the event that draws people from around the country who are still fans of the Andy Griffith Show. 

The Andy Griffith Show is a sitcom that aired on CBS from 1960 through 1968. The show ranked by TV Guide as the 9th best show in American television history. Mount Airy, North Carolina is where the show was filmed calling it the fictional town of Mayberry on the show. 

“One of the Mayberry Days events that we are looking forward to is the parade on Saturday morning,” says Scott McCorkle, owner of the Mount Airy Toyota Scion and Mount Airy Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram dealerships and key sponsor of the event. “We are proud that we could provide the vehicles for the parade this year.”

The Mayberry Days Parade will be held on Saturday, September 27th at 9:00 in the morning. The parade will travel down Main Street from BB&T to the Andy Griffith Playhouse to kick off the biggest day of the festival. All the special guest and celebrities will be riding in cars from Mount Airy Toyota and Mount Airy Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. 

Attending this year’s Mayberry Days are Betty Lynn who played Thelma Lou, Karen Knotts, actress and comedian and daughter of Don Knotts, and actor James Best who played Jim Lindsey on the show. For a complete line-up of all the celebrities go to Surry Arts Mayberry Days Website.

“This is our first year as a sponsor for this event and we are really excited to be a part of such great American history,” says McCorkle. “I applaud the Surry Arts Council for keeping this tradition alive and allowing all of us to step back and enjoy a time when life was a bit simpler.” 

As the Official Dealerships of the 2014 Mayberry Days, McCorkle encourages visitors to stop by the parking lot of the Andy Griffith Museum to pick-up event schedules and maps of the downtown area. Look for the tented area and the new cars on display. 

Both Mount Airy Toyota Scion and Mount Airy Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram are located on N. Andy Griffith Parkway in Mount Airy. Stop by for a test drive or start your shopping at http://www.mountairytoyota.com and http://www.clickmountairy.com

Historic California Stagecoach Comes Back to Life

Before railroads and telegraph wires reached the remote cities and towns of the western U.S., stagecoaches were the fastest way to deliver news. People would gather at stage stops and eagerly await the arrival of newspapers and mail. 

I’ve been around horses and wagons all my life, so becoming a wagon maker seemed a natural way to bring my heritage together with my love of western history in order to preserve that legacy for the future

Their heyday didn’t last out the 19th century, though, and by the early 1900s, stagecoaches had become little more than faint memories of days gone by. The ones that survived ended up in museums or as novelties at amusement parks and in parades. A few were stored away in the backs of barns where they sat silently, slowly decomposing ghosts from the past.

One such barn-find relic was rescued several years back by the Carriage and Western Art Museum of Santa Barbara, California. Originally built in the 1870s by the M.P. Henderson Co. in Stockton, California, the stagecoach carried mail and passengers 75 miles from Santa Barbara to Ventura and eastward through the rugged Santa Clara River Valley to the gold, oil, and cattle town of Saugus (part of present-day Santa Clarita). Besides the challenging terrain, the coaches were under constant danger from outlaws like the infamous Tiburcio Vásquez.

The Saugus stagecoach was stored in the Carriage Museum until a group of museum members raised the funds to have it restored by Hansen Wheel and Wagon Shop for the 90th anniversary of Santa Barbara’s Old Spanish Days celebration in early August, 2014.

“The museum knew it had a special coach with strong historic connections to the area’s past and wanted to restore it as close to its original condition as possible,” says Doug Hansen, owner of Hansen Wheel and Wagon Shop in Letcher, South Dakota.

When the coach arrived at Hansen’s shop, Doug’s daughter, Leah Murray, the shop’s Project Manager, set about coordinating with the various craftspeople who would be involved in the restoration. “The coach is what was known as a ‘mud wagon’ meaning that it ran through areas that had little in the way of established roads,” Murray says. “It was remarkable that it had survived 125 years given what it must have gone through.”

Hansen and his team of wheelwrights, blacksmiths, painters and upholsterers spent six months and over 650 hours meticulously disassembling, restoring, and reassembling hundreds of parts, reusing what they could and custom building other pieces to replicate them as authentically as possible. They used Italian naked leather hides to restore the upholstery to its original look and custom-formulated paints to be historically accurate and preserve the patina and graphics of the coach in its heyday.

“When we restore a coach, it’s a lot like an archaeological dig,” Hansen says. “Many times we find things unique to a particular wagon that give us insights into its history.” In the case of the Saugus coach, Hansen’s team found a leather scabbard designed to carry an axe mounted to the front boot. “This was evidence that the trail often had to be cleared of fallen brush before the coach could proceed on its journey.” Other times, Hansen workers have found inscriptions and dates that tie a wagon to specific craftsmen and times.
Throughout the restoration, Murray and Hansen stayed in close contact by phone and email with the museum staff 1,700 miles away. “I was struck by the irony of using today’s instant communication to help restore a part of history from a time when getting information across a hundred miles could take days and involved a fair amount of risk,” Hansen says.

While Hansen’s products are firmly rooted in the past, the company’s reach is high tech through its Magento ecommerce website, http://www.hansenwheel.com. “Our online ordering and secure payment capability allow customers anywhere to shop with us 24-7,” Hansen added. “We’re excited to bring our quality and craftsmanship to wagon enthusiasts around the world.”

Established in 1978, Hansen Wheel and Wagon Shop’s customers range from museums and collectors to corporate marketing departments and theme parks such as Disney and Knott’s Berry Farm. International customers include an amusement park in Japan, a historical society in Denmark, and a private ranch in Uruguay. Nearly a third of Hansen Wheel and Wagon Shop’s business comes from interior designers and film production prop departments. Hansen wagons have been cast in movies such as “Dances with Wolves” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

“I’ve been around horses and wagons all my life, so becoming a wagon maker seemed a natural way to bring my heritage together with my love of western history in order to preserve that legacy for the future,” Hansen says. Thirty-six years after its opening, the shop has become the premier builder of authentic horse-drawn vehicles worldwide.

For information about Hansen Wheel and Wagon Shop, contact:

Doug Hansen
http://www.hansenwheel.com

2014 Waukesha Christmas Parade!

This year's parade is shaping up to be something special. We hope you are planning to participate. The City of Waukesha Chamber of Commerce was honored to be asked by the city to be the stewards of the tradition, but while we and a dedicated committee of community volunteers work hard behind the scenes to organize the event, it truly belongs to the community!

From Scouting units, to public safety teams, veterans, business, marching bands, dance troupes, and a few professional entertainers make the annual tradition something families have enjoyed for over half a century.

This year's committee has blended that storied history with a theme that encourages parade entrants to visualize what the future might look like for this end-of-year holiday. Inspired by the final ghost of the classic Dicken's "A Christmas Carol," the theme - VISIONS OF CHRISTMAS YET TO COME - is already giving long-time participants a new shot of creative enthusiasm.

Judges this year will be from Waukesha STEM faculty and the members of the city's high school competitive robotics team.

Last year, the parade set records for the number of volunteers and sponsorship participation -- this year, we want to keep that going and...growing.  Please contact the chamber offices if you are interested in supporting the community's official launch of the holiday season. Perhaps you have a creative idea about a tweak to the parade - like our addition last year of prizes for performing units for the first time in over 20 years?? We'd love to hear those too. 

You can download a parade application here.

Otherwise, be sure to like the chamber on Facebook, since that is the ONLY place where parade announcements are made regarding any changes or updates.

You can do that here: www.facebook.com/WaukeshaWorks

Call or email the chamber at (262) 521-3333 or parade@WaukeshaWorks.com.

We hope you are as excited as we are about this uniquely American event.

Looking forward to seeing all of you.

Bicentennial of the Battle of Plattsburgh

Battle of Plattsburgh Commemoration

The Adirondack Coast along Lake Champlain hosts an annual series of reenactments, historic tours, family-friendly Adirondack events and performances to commemorate the Battle of Plattsburgh, the decisive battle in the War of 1812. 

A True Story of David and Goliath
In September of 1814, more than 10,000 British regulars, many fresh from victories in the Napoleonic Wars, invaded northern New York from Canada while the Royal Navy advanced along Lake Champlain. Their intent was to reach New York City and divide an infant nation in two. But 25 miles south lay the village of Plattsburgh and Cumberland Bay defended by 32-year old General Macomb’s 1,500 regulars and a small American fleet commanded by Commodore Thomas Macdonough, only 30 years old himself. 

On the morning of September 11th the armies clashed in tiny Plattsburgh with Sir George Prevost in command of the redcoats. At that same hour, the British fleet rounded Cumberland Head where they met the anchored Americans poised and ready. A dying wind left the British unable to maneuver their ships giving the out-gunned American ships the advantage. Within three hours the British colors were struck and their commander Captain Downie lay dead. Seeing his fleet defeated and lacking information about the strength of American ground forces, General Prevost withdrew his troops back to Canada. The unlikely American victory thwarted British plans to control Lake Champlain and led to the signing of the Treaty of Ghent and the end of the War of 1812 on Christmas Eve 1814.

This year marks the Bicentennial Commemoration of the Battle of Plattsburgh during the War of 1812, and throughout the year the Adirondack Coast celebrates 200 years of peace with a series of special events, historic reenactments and culinary delights. Battle of Plattsburgh Bicentennial events and attractions include:

Battle of Plattsburgh Commemoration Week
September 11-14, 2014

champlain1812.com
 
The Battle of Plattsburgh, also known as the Battle of Lake Champlain, ended the final invasion of the northern states during the War of 1812. Join the Adirondack Coast as we commemorate the Bicentennial of General Alexander Macomb’s and Master Commandant Thomas MacDonough’s unlikely defeat of the British army on September 11, 1814. The week’s series of events commemorate Plattsburgh’s military history, industry, culture and arts providing visitors a unique look at the War of 1812. Enjoy re-enactments on land and water, old fashioned parade, craft demonstrations, fife and drum performances, concerts and lectures. 

War of 1812 Interpretive Trail
518.563.1000

Follow the path of the British south from Canada to Plattsburgh along the War of 1812 Interpretive Trail. See the area’s rich history with sites such as monuments, former battlegrounds and historic homes. There are 10 stops along the marked trail each with its own descriptive signage making the War of 1812 Interpretive Trail an easy and fun way to discover the past. A War of 1812 Historic Map is available for more detailed information and to help identify the sites along the trail at goadirondack.com. 

Uncover the War at Pikes Cantonment
518.566.1814

Artifacts dating back to the War of 1812 have recently been uncovered at this archeological excavation site. Zebulon Montgomery Pike Jr. was a United States Army Captain in 1806-07, who also served during the War of 1812 at a military encampment somewhere around Plattsburgh. So far, archeologists have found a 1795 bayonet scabbard chape, .69 caliber bullet and military jacket buttons stamped with the number 15 – Pike’s Regiment. The dig will continue throughout the summer of 2014 and beyond.

Peace Garden Trail
ipgf.org

Visit the Adirondack Coast's newly designated Peace Garden at the Kent-Delord House Museum, former British Headquarters during the War of 1812. Dedicated at historic sites in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, War of 1812 Bicentennial Peace Gardens celebrate the two hundred years of peace and longstanding friendship between two countries that share the world’s longest undefended boarder.

Commemorative Wine and Beer
Plucky Rooster Ale
champlain1812.com

Get a taste of the area’s history with Plattsburgh’s artisan beer, Plucky Rooster Ale. This new artisan beer has been hand-crafted by Legend’s Bistro Brewmaster Jason Stoyanoff to commemorate the War of 1812 bicentennial. Plucky Rooster Ale was created by carefully researching the types of beers brewed by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson in the late 1800s and 1900s. Using American hops, English rye, Canadian barley and molasses – Plucky Rooster is a “burly” pale ale with toffee notes and a hoppy aroma. The name owes its genesis to a 200 year old rooster that was aboard Macdonough’s ship, USS Saratoga.

Crab Island White Wine
champlainwinecompany.com

Created by North Star Vineyard this Crab Island White is a semi-dry Seyval Blanc, medium bodied white wine and has flavors of Honeydew melon, green apple and citrus. Crab Island was the site of the military hospital during the War of 1812 and is now a federally recognized military cemetery and the site of 149 American and British soldiers who were killed during the battle. On approaching the island visitors can see a large granite monument commemorating the lives of the soldiers who are buried there. Crab Island is public land and can be visited; however, visitors can not disturb or collect any artifacts, or damage vegetation. 

Two Heroes Hard Cider
elfsfarm.com

Elfs Farm, Winery and Cider Mill honors Two Heroes with its early American style cider. This whisky barrel cider commemorates General Alexander Macomb’s and Master Commandant Thomas MacDonough’s for their actions on land and water during the Battle of Plattsburgh and the unlikely American Win.
The Battle of Plattsburgh did not take place until two years after the war was declared, yet it marked a turning point and heralded the end of the hostilities. For more information on this unlikely defeat of the British visit champlain1812.com.

Seaplane Homecoming Parade at Hammondsport, NY

Seaplane Homecoming

The airplanes and flying activities at Keuka Lake are big fun for folks of all ages. The food is great and the speakers are always interesting and engaging.

Seaplane Homecoming will be held this year on Saturday, September 13. Activities begin at 10:00 AM at Depot Park on the lakefront in Hammondsport. This once-a-year event is free and open to the public. In addition to various seaplanes landing and taking off at the lakefront, activities include food and souvenir vendors, wine and beer tasting, live band and raffles – including a drawing for a seaplane ride.

Beginning at 1:00 PM on Saturday, visiting pilots will take part in a “salute to Glenn Curtiss” seaplane parade around Keuka Lake, extending their southern loop directly over the Curtiss grave site in the Pleasant Valley Cemetery. 

A catered dinner will be held at the museum on Saturday evening, featuring speakers, Trafford Doherty, Museum Director; Chris Harmer, U. S. Navy intelligence expert and Michael Lopez-Alegria, space shuttle astronaut.

Visitors to Hammondsport for this event are encouraged to also visit the Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, ½ mile south of Champlin Beach. Museum admission is $8.50 for adults, $7.00 for seniors, $5.50 for students ages 7 to 18 and $25 for families. Children ages 6 and under are admitted free. The museum, which is located at 8419 State Rt. 54 in Hammondsport, is open every Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm and every Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm through October 31. The museum is located at 8419 State Rte. 54 in Hammondsport.

Cameron Dunlap, who has attended the Seaplane Homecoming for the last 6 years, had this to say about the event, "I have attended the Curtiss Museum Seaplane Homecoming in Hammondsport, NY for the last 6 years in a row. The airplanes and flying activities at Keuka Lake are big fun for folks of all ages. The banquet dinner that follows that evening at the museum is also well worth attending. The food is great and the speakers are always interesting and engaging. I highly recommend attending. Bring the whole family!"

The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum, which is located in the scenic Finger Lakes Region of New York State, is home to a priceless collection relating to early aviation, bicycle and motorcycle transportation and local history. The Museum celebrates the life and accomplishments of Glenn Curtiss, who is remembered as the father of naval aviation and the founder of the American aircraft industry. 

For more information, visit the museum website at http://www.GlennhCurtissMuseum.org.

64th Annual Old Car Festival

 

Celebrate the achievements of two of the early automotive industry’s biggest innovators – John and Horace Dodge – during Old Car Festival in Greenfield Village, September 6-7. After years of supplying parts to other automakers, including Henry Ford himself, the Dodge Brothers decided to go into production on their own, rolling out their first car in 1914. In honor of their 100th anniversary, The Henry Ford will host 30 Dodge Brothers vehicles in a special display on the Village Green including the company’s first model from its first year in production, a 1915 Model 30-35. 

During Old Car Festival, gain perspective on the evolution of the automotive industry through a display of nearly 900 automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, campers and more dating from the late 19th century to 1932. Get up close and learn more about these vehicles that changed American culture forever. 

See one of the biggest collections of Model As and early bicycles on display throughout the Village. Watch drivers show off their skills in early motor contests, witness the assembly of an actual Model T, and kick back at the pass-in-review parade where experts will provide information and fun facts about vehicles as they drive by. Join roadside historian Daniel Hershberger near the Scotch Settlement School each day for a presentation discussing the important aspect of early highway development and motoring history along with a special 1920s Auto Touring exhibit featuring a restored 1927 Auto-Kamp fold-out tent trailer, manufactured in Saginaw, Mich., and other period camp vehicles. 

On Saturday, stay late until 9 p.m. to enjoy live music from The Hotel Savarine Society Orchestra, a gaslight parade of cars through Greenfield Village, and a fireworks show to close out the evening. Old Car Festival is free with membership or admission to Greenfield Village; tickets are $24 for adults, $22 for seniors (62 and up) and $17.50 for youth (5-12). Children under five are free. For more information, call (313) 982-6001 or visit  http://www.thehenryford.org. 

About The Henry Ford
The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Michigan is an internationally-recognized cultural destination that brings the past forward by immersing visitors in the stories of ingenuity, resourcefulness and innovation that helped shape America. A national historic landmark with an unparalleled collection of artifacts from 300 years of American history, The Henry Ford is a force for sparking curiosity and inspiring tomorrow’s innovators. 

More than 1.6 million visitors annually experience its five attractions: Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village, The Ford Rouge Factory Tour, The Benson Ford Research Center and The Henry Ford IMAX Theatre. A continually expanding array of content available online provides anytime, anywhere access. The Henry Ford is also home to Henry Ford Academy, a public charter high school which educates 485 students a year on the institution’s campus. For more information please visit our website thehenryford.org.