The Walcha Motorcycle Weekend revs up next weekend (15-17 November 2019) to replace the Freak Show Festival of Motorcycles and national Harley Owners Group (HOG) rally which were axed at the last minute.
Among the many highlights will be the chance for riders to hear Harley-Davidson’s LiveWire electric motorcycle and even go for a “demo ride” on their Jumpstart Experience.
Harley offers non-licensed people a demo ride with their JumpStartHarley-Davidson Australia spokesman Keith Waddell says they have been “working closely with Walcha Council to support their plans to host riders with music and food options over the weekend”.
The company will set up at the Walcha Showground and will run demo rides over the weekend.
Meanwhile, he says the liquidators of the two axed events are “working through the required processes on asset and refund retrieval for all involved”.
“As this process may take some time, Harley-Davidson will refund the $99 HOG ticket cost directly to members,” he says.
“All HOG ticket holders have been contacted directly to arrange those refunds.”
The liquidators have not yet provided any details on refunds for Freak Show ticket holders.
Walcha Motorcycle Weekend program
There is a host of other entertainment across the three days, including stunt shows, a rodeo, guided rides, Harley demo rides, a Steampunk motorcycle gallery, markets, music, food stalls, a billy cart derby show and shine and more.
Of course, one of the main attractions is simply getting there by riding Thunderbolts Way and/or the magnificent Oxley Highway.
All accommodation in town is fully booked so Council has organised for camping at the Oxley Sportsground.
There will be some conditions due to current water restrictions.
Local not-for-profit groups will provide basic catering onsite and clean-up services.
Walcha Royal Cafe owner Toni Keable says they will continue with the entertainment they had previously planned before the events were axed.
Toni and Brad Keable of the Royal Cafe, Walcha“People can be assured that this weekend will definitely go ahead,” she says.
“Everyone is positive and we’re not going to let this opportunity to showcase the town slip through our fingers.”
Liquidation
The original twin events were organised by Inside Line Events International which was behind the aborted TT events planned for either the Oxley Highway or the Sunshine Coast.
Freak Show Festival organiser David Rollins sent us this formal statement:
The organisers of the Freak Show Festival of motorcycles regret to inform that the event has been forced into voluntary liquidation due to difficulties maintaining ongoing support from sponsors
The organisers are personally and financially devastated by this outcome, having poured considerable money into the event as well as time.
A liquidator has been appointed. All ticketing and trade enquires should be addressed to Wexted Pty Ltd, Level 12, 28 O’Connell Street, Sydney NSW 2000. E: fsfom@wexted.com
He says there is “not much I can add to it for legal reasons”.
More than 1000 tickets had been sold and they claimed they were expecting about 5000 to attend.
Freak show
The Freak Show Festival was to include a flat track, a dirt hill climb, custom motorcycles, the Globe of Death, wheelies, stoppies and burnouts, a ride-in cinema playing motorcycle-themed movies, live music and food and beverages.
It was scheduled for one weekend after the Australian Motorcycle Festival (formerly the Sydney Moto Expo) in Wollongong from November 8-10.
The show and rally were also sponsored by NSW Tourism Department who expected it to deliver more than $1.7 million in visitor expenditure to the region.