By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
LACONIA – There’s concern among Lakes Region lodging and hospitality interests that the economy – combined with the loss of Canadian visitors due to the Trump Administration’s negative rhetoric toward them – will impact summer travel this year, and Laconia Motorcycle Week might be an indicator of the months to come.
Known as the world’s oldest motorcycle rally, the 103rd Laconia Motorcycle Week begins Saturday with events across the state planned for the next nine days, which can be enjoyed by all, regardless of how they get there. There is a long list of events and activities planned, many concentrated around the center of activity, Weirs Beach in Laconia.
Grace McNamara, executive director for community engagement for the Lakes Region Chamber, said Friday that there is a “definite concern” among those in the hospitality sector about the summer though “people are hopeful.”
She said a kick-off event for Bike Week, which was held Thursday had many people excited about the rally, but Ragi Patel, general manager of the Best Western Plus Landmark Inn in downtown Laconia said while she has lots of reservations for the weekends for Bike Week, weekdays right now are slow, and that was not the case last year for Bike Week.
“I have not seen a single person with a Canadian drivers license,” in weeks, she said.
Patel said it is not just the loss of Canadian visitors, which was estimated as down 30 percent last year, but also now the increased price of gas – $1 more a gallon compared to this time last year – food costs and she said entertainment is the part of people’s budgets which are being cut out right now due to inflationary costs.
Brooke Nadeau, owner of the 1848 Inn on Route 3 in Weirs Beach agreed she would like to have a full house this coming Monday and Tuesday but noted that in the four years of ownership, the same Canadian visitors are still coming and she still gets last minute walk in reservations.
“We’re looking okay,” Nadeau said. “But I’d love to have Monday and Tuesday full.”
Charlie St. Clair, who has been in a leadership role for promoting Bike Week since the early 1990s, said in a recent gathering with U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, that there is not much that can be done about the situation created by the Republican Trump Administration which has called on Canadians to make their country the 51st state in the union and launched a war against Iran which has led to high gas prices and increased costs.
He said he did not expect a major change or uptick in Canadian visitors this year, though he has promoted the event in Canada and has a welcome advertisement in the Laconia Rally News welcoming back Canadians.
The event has many attractions for those who are just looking to come spend a short stay or a day trip, regardless of how one gets here. Though cars are restricted from Lakeside Avenue, there are many places to park a vehicle for a price.
From a free fireworks display over Weirs Beach Wednesday night, a special cruise on the MV Mount Washington Tuesday at 4:30 p.m., train service into the epicenter – Lakeside Avenue – which now lined with vendors – for $30, to the return of the Gunstock Hill Climb Wednesday, people do not have to own a motorcycle to join the fun.
There are tattoo and t-shirt contests, biker build offs, bike swaps and shows, and lots of live music at local bars in the Lakes Region and biergartens, all getting in on the influx of visitors.
Officials held a kick off event Thursday and Laconia Police Chief Michael J. Canfield urged all to be safe and drink responsibly, noting that each year, alcohol-related deaths claim lives.
“The Laconia Police Department will be working hard to ensure that safety and security of all residents and visitors throughout the week,” Canfield wrote in the Laconia Rally News. Also assisting Laconia are other area police departments and State Police.
The rally is among the nation’s three largest with Daytona and Sturgis being larger and combined are estimated to draw 1 million riders each year.
Gov. Kelly Ayotte, who plans to attend a 103rd celebration of the rally on Wednesday at 5 p.m. at the NASWA resort, called Bike Week “iconic” for the state.
“Please ride safely, enjoy the festivities and know we are honored” to welcome motorcyclists and enthusiasts, Ayotte wrote in the Rally News.
In an online video promoting the event, which is said to draw an estimated 300,000 over the course of nine days, Jennifer Anderson, said the action-packed week will be an opportunity for local charities to raise funds, visitors to join organized rides and traditional events to enjoy.
“Let’s take the state by storm,” she said.
Some of the beneficiaries of the fundraisers include local service clubs, the Laconia Fire Department, local animal shelters and veterans organizations.
Fortunately for organizers and businesses that consider this an unofficial start to the summer tourism season, the weather looks fairly promising throughout the coming week with temperatures a little cooler than Friday.
Organized rides include one to the summit of the Northeast’s highest peak, Mount Washington called the Ride to the Sky. There is also a 170-mile organized covered bridge ride which takes in six bridges mostly in the White Mountains, and the Mae West Memorial Ride for Pets, named for the rally’s own beloved cat, with benefits going to local animal shelters. It concludes with a celebration at the Notch Biergarten at Beans and Greens farm in Gilford on Monday afternoon.
The week kicks off with the Peter Makris Memorial ride on Saturday which over the event’s 19 years has raised almost $700,000 for a number of charities including the Laconia Fire Department for equipment needs.
Fireworks are set for 10 p.m. Wednesday night at the Weirs with a rain date of Thursday.
Also motorcycle race events are planned at the track in Loudon both weekends.
For more information, visit https://laconiamcweek.com/