With Thunder in limbo, alternative motorcycle rally proposed; Johnstown merchant pitches event with local vendors

Feb. 5—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — What type of motorcycle rally, if any, is going to take place in Johnstown this year still remains uncertain.

Patrick Martella, owner of Stadium Pub & Grille in downtown, said he is considering putting on a new gathering called Rumble Through the Valley this June.

It would be a replacement for Thunder in the Valley, a signature summer event for the city and region that annually attracted thousands of people and pumped money into the economy.

After last year's 25th edition, Visit Johnstown decided to no longer host Thunder, citing a desire to get back to its core function of marketing the area for tourism. Visit Johnstown Executive Director Lisa Rager said, when the decision was announced in September, she was "hopeful that another entity or group of entities will assume the management and operation of Thunder in some form." That has not yet happened.

Asked recently about the future of Thunder, Rager said in an email: "There's nothing that I can comment on at this time."

She added: "If anything develops, we'll let you know."

The organization also still owns the rights to the Thunder in the Valley brand.

A meeting was held among a collection of downtown business owners, including Martella, and Visit Johnstown last year, regarding Thunder's future. But little communication has taken place since then, in Martella's opinion. Visit Johnstown, as of last week, still had reserved June dates at Peoples Natural Gas Park, the venue where the rally's concerts occur, as confirmed by Johnstown Area Heritage Association, which owns the facility.

'Bring it back local'

Martella said he does not know how to proceed with his possible plan because a clear announcement has still not been made that either Thunder is canceled or another entity plans to host it, with less than five months to go until any rally would likely be held in late June.

"If we can work with a group that's interested in coming in or if they have a group ... if not, we're going to form something on a grassroots effort to bring something into this town," Martella said.

Martella envisions Rumble Through the Valley as a smaller rally with only regional businesses, unlike how Visit Johnstown used national vendors and entertainment acts over the years.

"Whatever we do event-wise, I want to bring it back local," Martella said. "I have no intention of bringing any of the food vendors back. ... I want to bring local in. I think we have enough food trucks in town here."

He said he has talked to several bike clubs in the state, local organizations interested in hosting poker runs, vendors, bars and restaurants.

"I have some stuff in the fire," Martella said. "I just need to know where to go next, once I know there's not another group coming in."

Shifting economics

Riders and other visitors spent money at local hotels, restaurants, stores and bars in recent years.

Stadium Pub & Grille benefited from being in the heart of Thunder activity at the corner of Washington and Johns streets. Martella simultaneously hosted his own mini-event called Storm the Corner with local music and food trucks.

But Thunder's overall popularity and attendance had waned, he said.

Visit's Rager pointed to riders aging out of the hobby and broad economic changes, along with the challenges of organizing the rally with a small staff, as reasons why a decision was made to stop hosting it.

"With Thunder, we've not been able to achieve a break-even (point) with revenue and expenses," Rager said back in September. "Therefore, Visit Johnstown has had to subsidize Thunder out of its Core Program funds, meaning that we've had to adjust our Core Program activities the last half of the year to cover the losses from Thunder.

"The subsidy varies from year to year, depending on weather and other factors that affect attendance and revenue streams, and expenses."

Joe Goss, one of the rally's founders, said during a telephone interview last week that he "can understand the visitors' bureau in a way, too. It's been like 25 years. They're getting tired of having to do all that. ... They did a good job as far as it was. I know it seemed after I stopped being involved in it, I had people coming to me and telling me the rally's going down and the people are becoming less. I would make suggestions."

Goss said he believes Thunder was negatively impacted by getting away from the basics of a motorcycle rally and becoming more family friendly.

"That's shooting yourself in the foot, because the bike rallies aren't family affairs," Goss said. "They aren't. It's mostly men. And if there are any 'family,' it's his wife or girlfriend that he takes to the rally with him. They don't drag their kids to something like that."

At least two motorcycle- themed activities are already planned for Cambria County this summer.

The 20th Annual Wheels & Wings is scheduled for June 21 in Ebensburg. The event traditionally occurred on Thursday as an opener to Thunder in the Valley. But organizers moved W&W, which celebrates motorcycles and chicken wings, to Friday for this year.

"I think that this event is pretty established at this point," said Danea Koss, community development director for Ebensburg Borough and the Ebensburg Main Street Partnership. "It has a great local following and regional following. We're going to continue with it. It's a great event for Ebensburg. It really helps support our local downtown businesses, the (Dauntless) fire company. It's a great fundraiser for us."

ABATE of PA — Cambria Summit Chapter will once again hold Bike Fest at the American Legion Fairgrounds in conjunction with Wheels & Wings.

"We think those events complement each other well," Koss said.