About Roar on the Shore: A Thunderous Celebration of Motorcycle Enthusiasm
Roar on the Shore is one memorable event bikers miss these days. Currently, even in 2023, there are no signs that the event will return. It surely bums out many people who used to enjoy the event pretty much like a festival with all of its fun activities.
Our discussion might be quite helpful for anyone who doesn’t know about Roar on the Shore. We unveil everything regarding the event and how it came to an end in 2019. Let’s get going.
History and Evolution Of Roar On The Shore
Starting with history, Roar on the Shore began its journey in 2007. Primarily, the event was a motorcycle rally with some other fun activities surrounding it. The event was to get charity for the local community.
It was the Erie Port Authority that created the event to get more visitors to Erie’s bayfront area. Usually, the event would occur in Erie, North East Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania.
Typically, the event occurred around June, mostly during summer, and lasted five days. Even though it began as an event initially, it became a festival soon after.
In making the event successful, plenty of local organizations came with their aid.
For instance, ABATE, Legion Riders 773, Erie Motorcycle Club, Charities for Children, and the Manufacturer and Business Association were a big part of it.
After the first successful year of the event, Manufacturer and Business Association took the lead in organizing the rally in 2008. They were doing it flawlessly until 2019. The event stopped after the year 2019.
Main Attractions and Activities Of Roar On The Shore
It’s time we discuss why people would miss the motorcycle rally so much in 2023 and beyond.
The “Road parade”
Of course, the main attraction of the event is the bike rally or the “Roar parade” that starts off the event with a bang. You will have a great time watching the parade if you love bikes.
Free concerts from local and popular artists
Another attraction that people would enjoy was the free concerts. Many popular artists and bands would come to the event to perform in the concert, which came along with the event pass.
Some popular ones were the Slayer, White Chapel, Hendrick Meurkens, etc.
Cultural performances
Along with the concerts, there were other entertainment activities like stage drama, dancing, comedy acts, etc.
These were some of the main activities that would take place at the event every year.
Activities Beyond the Main Events
Apart from the main attractions, there are plenty of other things for everyone to do in the event.
Various kinds of vendors
Just like any other festival, there are a lot of vendors who open up their stalls and sell a variety of products at the event. Most of them are focused on bike accessories and gear.
Bike stunts and group rides
Also, you could enjoy many different bike stunt shows at the event from expert bikers. Want to join in the event?
Well, you could simply hop in with a group to ride around the region as a part of the event.
Food stalls
Of course, there will be stalls for various kinds of food and beverages around the place. So, if you are a foodie, you would love to be at the event.
The whole event is very much organized and broken into sections. You can find all the vendors in one place at the vendor ally.
The speedway is for the main event of bike riding. And there is the entertainment location where all the entertainment activities take place.
You can check out the video below for a quick tour of the 2019 Roar on the shore to get a better idea –
Why was Roar on the Shore canceled?
Unfortunately, all the fun-filled activities of the Roar on the Shore event stopped in 2020.
The organizers of the event decided not to continue the event after it last happened in 2019. There are a couple of reasons for that.
Two major reasons for suspending the event in 2020 were the passing of Ralph Pontillo and COVID-19 restrictions.
Ralph Pontillo was the event’s executive director, so losing him was a crucial hit to the event’s core.
Although, there were some speculations that the event stopped due to an outlaw biker gang known as Pagans.
The gang Pagans held an event of their own during the same time as the Roar on the Shore event in 2019.
Because of that, they had to move the location of Roar on the shore to Erie Speedway instead of downtown.
Pagans, on the other hand, are known to cause chaos and violence. That’s why many people think the Roar on the Shore organizers want to avoid them.
However, these are all speculations and not confirmed by the people in charge of the event.
When Will The Event Return?
Since the event’s cancellation in 2020, there has been no news of the event ever returning.
The head of the Roar on the Shore event board also said they are grateful for the support, but the event will no longer continue.
At least up until now, in 2023, there are no signs of the event returning whatsoever. Neither the committee nor the community seems eager to bring back the event in Erie.
Tips for Attending Roar on the Shore
With the hopes that the event may return to the roads of Erie in the future, we are leaving you with some tips to attend it.
Following these tips may give you a better and more fulfilling event experience.
- Right away, try to get the Roar on the Shore guide from the event’s entry.
- Visit all the different parts of the event to get the proper festive feel.
- You can get plenty of vendors, especially with motorcycle accessories and gears, so take some money with you.
- Since it’s a gathering of bikers, you might also want to dress like one.
- Try to attend the event from day 1 of 5 days to get the best experience with all the rides.
- Check the lineup of the bands performing in the entertainment section of the event.
FAQs
We pretty much tried to sum up everything we researched about the Roar on the shore event. Still, we thought there were some recurring questions about the event, so here we have the answers for you.
How much has the Roar on the shore event donated to charities?
Until its cancellation in 2020, the Roar on the shore event has donated more than $1 million dollars to the local charities in Erie. They would select a particular charity every year to donate the majority of the money they would collect from the event.
Did the Roar on the shore event have an impact on the economy of Erie?
Yes, the Roar on the shore event hugely impacted the economy of Erie. The organizers of the event said that the event had a $25 million dollar economic impact in a single year.
Which charity organizations received help from the event?
There were a lot of charities that benefited from Roar on the shore every year from 2007 to 2019. Some of them were, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Mercy Center for Women, Memorial in Shanksville, St. Martin Center Playground and so forth.
Conclusion
After going through everything, it’s pretty evident that the Roar on the shore event wasn’t only for the bikers.
Even though the main attraction was the bike rally, it truly had to offer something for everyone joining the event.
Moreover, the charity aspect of the event added even more value to the event.
It’s a shame that the event isn’t happening anymore. We do hope that someday the event will return with its utmost glory.
