Bikers cruise along Dickson Street Wednesday during the opening night of the annual Bikes, Blues & BBQ motorcycle rally.
Photos: Todd Gill, Flyer staff
The 2012 Bikes, Blues & BBQ motorcycle rally began Wednesday and runs through Saturday at several areas in Fayetteville including Dickson Street.
Wednesday’s events included live music from a handful of bands and the Miss Bikes, Blues & BBQ semifinals held at Jose’s Mexican Restaurant.
Vendors were in full force in nearly every lot along Dickson Street and at the main Walton Arts Center parking lot at Dickson and West Avenue.
Thursday’s events include more live music on Dickson Street, pig races at the Washington County Fairgrounds, stunt shows and the Miss Bikes, Blues & BBQ Semifinals.
» See the full 2012 Bikes, Blues & BBQ event schedule
Wednesday night photos – Sept. 26, 2012
Every year Fayetteville goes Branson and whores itself out so overweight insurance salesmen and dentists can stuff 50 pounds of ass fat into leather chaps rated for 30 pounds of ass fat and play bad boy/girl dress up and make believe.
And you care why? It’s revenue and exposure for the area, which is fine by me.
And since I’ve been unable to get anywhere close to Dickson since Tuesday, my hopes to eat at Legacy Blues, Feltner Bros, Common Grounds, Doe’s, Chipotle, Hammontree’s, Ferrell’s or anywhere, really, south of Maple are all a no-go. So that’s potentially a few hundred that isn’t being spent down there (I like to eat). Which is fine by me. I’m sure that Fatass Fran and Hairy Harry are spending a ton in my place.
This does bring in a lot of money for NWA. It is worth the few days of inconvenience.
Says somebody who doesn’t live near this Charlie Foxtrot.
Lel is so jealous they don’t make chaps his size. Would 50 pound chaps work for you?
I saw a guy walking around NYC with a T-Shirt that read “Go your own city.” Understandable sentiment to be sure, but insurance salesmen and dentists have money, better than penniless bikers any day :)
fayetteville flyer chopped my bracketed text. The T-Shirt in question read “Go [heart] your own city.”
Other than alcohol, certain food items and lodging, I have yet to see any substantiated reports of the net financial benefit of BBBBQ. Many of the food vendors are from out of state, as well as the t-shirt/knick-knack vendors. The money they collect isn’t spent in Northwest Arkansas. Further, since BBBBQ failed to donate any money to charity two of the last three years, this is a purely for-profit initiative with zero benefits to the community at large, unless you own a bar or a hotel.
How much do the organizers of this event get paid or profit in some way? and why is exposure for the area such an all fired great thing?
Yep. And I don’t think that our city’s biggest event every year being a biker rally does a lot for the image of our city. This event needs to go away.
I read that the festival itself actually usually loses money, and that’s why they didn’t give to charity. The city apparently makes a good amount of money from food and lodging taxes. But surely the article meant that the festival loses money AFTER taking into account the salaries of the organizers. Because obviously they aren’t working for free or losing money or the event would disappear. If only, right?
Because of the awfulness of the festival, I would at the very least like to see the city leverage its popularity and squeeze every dime out of the bikers and festival organizers that they can. Make really outrageous demands. It’s a win-win. The city makes more money from fees and if bikers stop coming that’s great too.
C’mon, rain.
amen.
Always get a kick out of these negative BBBQ threads. Rich biker dollars may help in the long run once WAC leaves and Benton County goes dry. A little loud noise never hurt anybody for one weekend on the year, but what do I know
Todd, please post more, especially Ms. BBBQ pageant pics
so the festivities start out with the Miss BBBQ contest having already progressed to the semi-finals. what i want to know is what exactly does a girl have to do to make it that far? and will someone please tape the finals for us and get it p on CAT like they did in the good ol early days….
Nearly every comment sounds like old people. “Oh, the noise,” and “leave us alone,” is such whiny complaints. I’m sure if there were a festival or convention for one of your own personal interests, no matter how annoying it was to others, you’d certainly be standing on the other side of the fence.
Uh, almost the entire festival is old people.
The dislike for BBBBQ crosses all demographic categories. The common denominator is that we all live in Fayetteville.
I can’t join the AARP for another 20 years, so I don’t think I fall under anyone’s definition of “old”. There are lots of things that happen in and around Fayetteville that inconvenience me, but benefit enough Fayetteville residents to make it worth the trouble: Hogs games, Block Street Block Party, Chili Pepper race, bike race… I think I could even suck it up if this festival was a genuine charity event with actual money going to actual charities, or if somehow, Fayetteville residents were able to benefit from this festival culturally. As it stands, it’s a pollution-fest dressed in tacky outfits.
I think you’ll like AARP. They have great discount offers for dinner between 4 and 5 pm, a lovely magazine with articles about people who are, miraculously, still alive, and deals on cell phones with huge buttons. Plus, you get a free “Get Off My Lawn” sign when you join, and you’ll learn more about walk-in bath tubs and comfort-waist pants than you thought possible.
How about comfort waist chaps—now that might sell down on dickson this weekend.
Ha! And leather jackets with huge buttons, and walk-in halter tops.
+100000000 DF, well done!
It’s truly a medical miracle that people over 50 are able to fire up a computer and type or even just find the will to live at this advanced age.
What committee or section of government do we have in place to ensure events like this are in the communities best interests? If BBBBQ fails to give anything to charity this year, the city should raise their fees and rates for the event administrators.
I think more charities have the opportunity to benifit from a Honey Boo Boo pagent festival.
this entire event is based on a whole of sitting down…
Obviously the answer would be relocating Bonaroo to Fayetteville.
Easier access to drugs to. It’s a win win.
Oh I’m sure there’s more drugs passing through town this weekend than there is at a Grateful Dead show.
you are joking right?? Other than herb and boose what could these weekend leather wearing grease monkeys be consuming? This sure isnt a music line up that inspires one to ‘break free and let loose’
most of these chap wearing lawyers wouldnt risk their $50,000 toy on Missouri’s largest industry like most hardened greasers.
Meth, bikers love meth… Arkansas loves meth. It’s a wedding.
WARNING TO VENDORS
I’m a vendor at this years event and am currently sitting in my booth as I type this. This is our first biker rally and our last. The BBBBQ promoters completely misrepresented this event. There is nowhere near 400,000 people as they claim. I seriously doubt there are even 40,000 people here. All of our other outings have been successful and this one is a complete fail. We haven’t even made enough for hotel. And all the vendors around us are doing poorly. Unless you’re selling beer or drugs you probably won’t do well. This is definitely a Walmart crowd. Spend as little as possible and when you do waste it on alcohol.
We’re a small family business and when we go to these events we plan it as a family mini vacation and take in the sights with our little ones and put back a good chunk of money back into the community.
At this rate we are lucky to put gas in our vehicle and buy a cheeseburger.
Innaresting!
gf is working for a local vender. his top products are smoking accessories and cheap jewlery.
times are tough, what were you expecting? The Cracker Barrell fan club?
get real.
To JCJXXL
What vender are you? I’d like to come by and see your products.
dont do it JCJ! prolly an event administrator. Ive heard them make things tough for the Harley folks in bville.
SlimTim please learn how to spell and write before you make a stupid comment.
YeArLyBlOwEr — please find something more meaningful to your life than being a troll.
Haha, Your Kool! Guub!! I’m done here I’m going riding.
please, YB, do elaborate.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=guub
Don’t worry Tim, I’m not foolish enough to do that. Besides, one visit is not going to make a difference. I just finished speaking with a few of the vendors around me and everyone is pissed. People are not making back booth rent or hotels. This whole week I kept hearing excuses…Oh Wednesday is always dead it’s just the first day things get better….Come Thursday vendors around are like what the crap is going on/ Thursday is worse than Wednesday… So they tell us wait until Friday… All day Friday is crazy.. Nothing Friday..then its wait until 3-6pm…It’s now 8:30…no action. Streets are busy but vendors are not.
A few of the vendors around me have talked to other vendors down the street in both directions and the opinion is the same. It sucks.
I just got word from a vendor who spoke to an event rep and the BBBQ are asking if you want a spot next year to pay the 200-300 deposit upfront and half the booth rent now. What the crap.
File a motion against the Administrators for misleading details regarding regular business.
The only people making money here are those putting on the event. And I’ve done some reading online and it seems there’s a lot of question regarding what they are truly giving back to local charities and numbers not being honest,etc,etc.
I understand now why a lot of locals hate this event and some even leave town for the week.
1) It’s noisy and there are problem bikers here and there
2) The event big wigs are supposed to give back to the community and based on what others say they don’t
3) The sacrifice the community make and the community has been treated like an unpaid prostitute. They were told if they “put out” they would be rewarded. Sorry Fayetteville. You’ve been raped.
so how would vendors go about filing an action re: misrepresentation of this event? i imagine they’d need to have an arkansas lawyer but probably not one from washington county–too cozy with the event administration.. maybe someone from rogers or bentonville in -benton county. But if this isn’t feasible just don’t renew—they’ll have to reduce prices and come to you.
Yeah, we aren’t renewing. Several vendors around have said the same. Oh well, it is what it is. You live and learn. I had high hopes for this event and a fun family trip to a place we’ve never been. We have done events with as little as 3,000 – 5,000 people (a mere fraction of what they claim is in attendance here) and made a killing.
Fayetteville seems like a nice town. We may come back in the future to check the place out when there isn’t a rally.
Im sure there might be a local lawyer who might take the case. Especially if the areas largest for-profit org. is posing as a non-profit org. Not all southerners are bought off by a firm hand shake and a free chicken dinner. Atleast i hope there are good guys left….
A vendor not selling merchandise at this event must not be selling anything of quality. There’s a ton of people here for this event, and most have merchandise bags in their hands. My guess is you’re not a vendor at all.
Honestly, it escapes me how anyone could fail to see the benefit of having tens of thousands of people in your town all weekend…but then again you’re the same people who think the UoA should go away too. If you want to live somewhere quiet and where nothing much happens, move to Waldron. I think some of you would do well to lighten up and stop trying to find the only cloud on a sunny day.
Zzzz troll
How does expressing my observation, after being at the event several times over the last 4 days, make me a troll?
Is this how you attempt to silence people who disagree with your opinion?
As for credibility, I never said I wasn’t a vendor…and for the record I’m not. However, one only needs to stroll around Baum or Dickson for all the proof one needs to see that plenty of vendors are doing fine, great even. By many of your own admissions—Observer guy for one—you haven’t even been to the event, so how could you know? And the one and only ‘vendor’ has spammed the exact same message twice in two separate threads and supplied zero proof that they are a vendor at all. The vendors I’ve seen have been too busy selling merchandise to be finding the Flyer website (which I highly doubt most vendors know anything about) much less posting some rant about not being able to sell their wares.
How pathetic that someone need only post a dissenting opinion to be labeled a troll. You’d think Observer guy pays for this forum. Folks like you make this a much less enjoyable website to visit.
I’ve been to the event, walked through it to experience it firsthand. However, I don’t need to. I can hear it, smell it, and deal with it for six days as I live two blocks north of Dickson. As I type, my street is crammed with vehicles to the point I can’t park my own vehicle. My street is littered with Miller Light cans. I was finally able to fall asleep around 4 this morning due to bikes absolutely tearing up up and down my street.
I’m glad the vendors are doing well, I don’t want them to lose money and don’t wish anyone ill will. But man, if I’m a freakin’ guest in someone’s town, I wouldn’t act like a complete jackhole, disregarding the peace and safety of local residents. It’s rude and obnoxious.
I don’t think you’re a troll, I just know you don’t live here, don’t talk to the people in the neighborhood, and don’t talk to the merchants who close up shop for the weekend because their regulars stay away from downtown.
Observer is a jerk. Don’t worry – he/she wastes his life commenting on BBBQ and the A & P commission. I feel sorry for such a sad soul.
Your mama is a jerk.
P.S. Do you own a failing local ice cream shop, by any chance?
You have zero credibility to say how vendors are doing, “ICallBS”. How can you, an admitted non-vendor, disagree with the business report posted here by a vendor? Your opening sentence shows that you have no understanding of commerce and the multiple factors that affect profitablity. You appear as a comment-board troll, likely with a hidden agenda.
Amen!!! If you were not selling your product… maybe your product is weak, over priced, or in the wrong market because the cool vendors that had the right products, sold them! I was there on Wed and saw a couple great booths of clothing. When we were there Sat they had sold almost everything that was hanging up in there booth! They had the right price and the right product! And for the people complaining about it not being a family event, I suggest thinking for yourself. Bikers, bars, music, alcohol, bikini contest….. I am a parent and I am gonna say I am not taking my kids unless they are of age! If you brought them to town then maybe you should have gone early or go to some of the other events like Motocross Races at Parsons stadium! BBBBQ on Friday and Saturday night is for adults, it’s not a nursery, if it was they would change the name to Tri-cycles, diapers, and bottles!
Blarrgh,
I do in fact live here, near Baum Stadium. I moved here a year ago. I don’t wish ill towards anyone either, but the original vendor post just screamed ‘spam’ to me. Having moved here from a truly terrible town, I really appreciate Fayetteville for all it’s charms….events like this are what drew me here. I am about to buy a home here, pay taxes here, buy everything here, and try to be a good community member. Just seems like a shame that this forum is full of people who constantly berate everything about this place. Why live here if you hate so much about it? It’s not like this was a sleepy little town that just suddenly transformed?
In any case, I apologize if I was crass towards the vendor, if in fact he is truly a vendor that struggled. Just seems unlikely from what I’ve witnessed this
I apologize in advance for the length of my response.
“I Call BS” you are ignorant. To say that maybe I don’t sell a high quality product or don’t know how to work my booth is ridiculous. I am a real vendor at this year’s event. And this isn’t my first rodeo. I actually own 2 successful businesses for 13 years and with the product I’m selling at this event I have been successful at getting it into retail stores in other states. So don’t try to take cheapshots based on zero information. Of course since I may be a loser as you suggested I guess it was foolish for me to put not only myself up but three of my employees in hotel rooms, pay all expenses and of course invest in additional product without having any type of experience or selling ability. How foolish of an inexperienced person like myself.
You may have walked up and down Dickson, so have I. And yes it’s crowded. Is it 400,000? Hell no. Not even close. And you labeled me as the “sole vendor” not doing well. Let me tell you all the vendors in my area are talking. We have people near me who have being doing it for years and this year they’re panicked because may of them are not making their booth rent or barely. They’re four days in and still have not reached what they normally do on day one from previous years.Too bad you only walked down Dickson and not in the alley way where other vendors are placed and it’s like a ghost town. The vendors near me have built relationships with other vendors along Dickson over the years and the opinion is the same, people are not spending money.
The bottom line is food vendors and bars do well. This is a Walmart crowd. I don’t mean it in a derogatory way. It’s very simple, they are tight on money, and want to spend as little as possible, unless it’s on alcohol (smart purchase). And this crowd is different. They rarely may eye contact and just by saying HI or trying to get them to laugh a little they’re scared off. Completely odd group of people here.
Anyway, as I said earlier my post is nothing against Fayetteville. It’s a great little town and the few locals we’ve interacted with have been very nice. It’s a place I would come back to for a visit, not just for a rally.
Ok so I’ve said my piece and I’m done.
JCJ – I’m not sure what kind of merchandise you sell, so this suggestion may not be appropriate for your particular business, but you might try Harvest Fest here in a few weeks. Lots of friendly folks, and it takes place at one of the most beautiful locations in NWA. And I’m pretty certain the festival organizers will shoot you straight on what to expect as far as crowd numbers.
Thanks for the suggestion. We’ll look into it.
@JCJXXL
Smell you later!
Has anone who has commented on JCJXLL’s post actually been a vendor at this event??? I own a FAYETTEVILLE BBQ RESTAURANT, and for many years I counted Bikes, Blues & BBQ (as a vendor in the WAC parking lot), to make ends meet–Until 2010, I counted on BBBBQ to have a profitable year. But 2010 was my last year to participate in the event because (even though almost all of the customer I had told me we had the best BBQ they had tried, and previous years were highly successful), THERE ARE SO MANY VENDORS THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO MAKE THE EVENT WORTHWHILE TO A SMALL FAMILY BUSINESS!! BBBBQ charged $3000 for a 20′ X 20′ space for 4 days, which is more than I pay a month to lease my building. There may or may not be 400,00 people attending this event, but no matter how many people attend, the more vendors there are (no matter what they’re selling), the less profitable the event is for vendors. But according to the NWA Times, the event (or event organizers) makes most of its money from vendor space fees and alcohol sales. So why wouldn’t they try to get as many vendors as possible, no matter what the consequence to the vendor. I have no idea what JCJXLL
…..I have no idea what JCJXLL is selling, but it seems to me that the organizers of the event are too concerned with lining their own pockets to provide vendors a chance to make a little money, too.
This would make a wonderful story, if the Flyer folks would go interview some vendors to get a more objective perspective … hint … hint … what is attendance, really? How do the vendors feel? etc.
JSO
I agree. Anonymous posters lend no credibility. If it really is so bad, tell us who you are and people might actually believe it. Otherwise, I tend to believe its spam.
@Bailey,
Give it a rest. Why would I come on here and spam? Because I just happened to stumble across FayettevilleFlyer and wanted to have fun? I took the time to seek out the local paper while at the rally to voice my opinion because I heard so many vendors who were upset and felt lied to. I also did it to add one more issue to the pile of issues this event has accumulated over the years.
I suspect you are involved with the rally and want my name to blacklist or cause problems. I have no problem listing my company or name once I get my deposit back. I have no problem driving back out and confronting you and the rest of the BBB management in person.
I find it funny for a “family friendly event” (as its advertised) we did not see any family related events???? I would also think for a rally as large and successful as this claims to be there would be better entertainment?
There are growing ruptures in the facade of this scam. I love it!
This all sounds so awful. I suggest a boycott. Maybe all of the vendors skip next year. I’ve also read about bars charging double their normal prices for drinks during the rally. I hope everybody is really unhappy with their motorcycle visit to Fayetteville and decide to stay home next year. Totally not worth it.
We have lived in NWA most of our lives. We play music all over (4 shows this week at BBBBQ) and one thing that always comes up when playing Fayetteville is how ignorant the complaining people are that live in and around Dickson St. Cities are known for curtain things. Nashville is known for being a music city, people and their money go there every year! Memphis in May brings dollars to their city! Fayetteville has an opportunity for Dickson St. to become well known all around the world for BBBBQ and a chance at creating a great music scene! Unfortunately the idiot’s that live in and around Fayetteville that complain about one weekend a year are the same dumb*** people that complain all year round about noise on Dickson St. or their put out because they have to park away from there less than attractive homes around Dickson St. I have a great idea for you, move away!!!!! Shut up and let Dickson St. become what it should be. It’s a college town, music and fun is what it should be about! If it’s too loud, your too old! Better idea, why don’t you take your money to Branson or somewhere that weekend and watch you a nice quiet boring show for the old folks, (which I love Branson)! ALL of NWA makes money from the people coming in town, not just on food and lodging! Ask the business owners if anybody lost money this last week because of too many people! We sold merch at our shows, which we will buy more and go down to the local music stores and buy gear with! Sounds like a win win to me! My question for the complainers, “What are you doing for the city and what are you doing for charities! We play every year for some charities and several of them are on Dickson St…..
Twerp eloquence like that makes me want to run right out and listen to some live music.
I don’t mind the music on Dickson street, and I can hear it clear as a bell from Thursday to Saturday while standing on my porch . Even the really, truly, awesomely terrible bands that play Jose’s and the Rowdy Beaver. And the people who valiantly try (and fail) at karaoke. They’re all groovy.
If this was a music festival, a blues festival, or anything other than a noisy, tacky, trashy event, I’d welcome it with open arms, inconvenience be darned. If they had Wakarusa in Fayetteville, I’d be letting all the patchouli brigade park in my yard. BBBBBBBBBBBQQQQQQQQQ has never attracted a single A+ blues act as long as I’ve lived here.
As for me, I volunteer weekly with two charities, one very large and well-known, and another, smaller outfit doing great work with kids.
Your reasoning is:
1. My musical outfit made money this weekend, so this thing is great
2. If you don’t like loud music, you’re old and boring
3. If you don’t like it, leave
I am glad to hear you do charity work!!!!! That’s awesome and more than I can say for most people! So I personally like to thank you! I speak for lots of musicians that would love to have a great music scene in Fayetteville, (most bands play charities) unfortunately the music scene is less than appealing to a lot of bands most of the time, other than BBBBQ. That’s why we play out of town! And yes, you are correct, I like the rally because we make money, just like several other bands and business owners I talk too, and it was not from the money paid from the clubs or being on the main stage… They don’t pay even a normal rate, but we played in front of thousands of people, which has already created future gigs for us, locally and out of state. I totally agree with bringing in a national act! I felt like the main stage line up was poor as far as headlining acts! We just get tired of people complaining about the noise on Dickson, it is unfortunate that Fayetteville will never become a great music scene unless the thinking of the area changes! I am sure if you live close by Dickson St. it’s a pain all the time, not just one weekend out of the year! Wish ya luck!
The first or second year, B.B. King played at Drake Field during BBBBQ. It doesn’t get much more A+ blues act than that. After that, they seemed to forget what that second “B” stood for. The King Biscuit Blues Festival is in Helena this coming weekend, so we’ve got dozens of great blues acts heading to the state. It doesn’t seem like it would be that difficult to book some great blues players to restore the Blues in Bikes, Blues, and BBQ. I wonder where the Ozarks Blues Society is, in all of this?
I’d love to see Fayetteville promote itself as a live music town; and, personally, I’d love that music to be the blues. I was here in the 70s, when we had great live music venues up and down Dickson St. Those were great days (of course, I’m much older now, so nostalgia may be clouding my memory a bit.) Anyway, I’m heading to Helena, and then on to Memphis to get my blues fix for the year.
Yeah, Nashville has the good sense to not try to host the biggest biker rally in the country. Most cities also do. Not Fayetteville.
The complaints of the people whose lives are inconvenienced by the rally are the most valid, IMO. I’m not directly impacted like a lot of people who live right in the middle of the action, but I can sympathize.
What I don’t like is the people who don’t live in central Fayetteville, or who don’t even live in Fayetteville at all, telling us all how we should embrace this event for various reasons.
You all have the option of whether you attend the event or not. You get to pick which years you come, when you arrive, and when you leave. Those complaining the most about the event are those who actually have no choice whether they deal with it or not.
Ignore the trolls on this sight. they rarely have anything nice to say and when they type, it nothing but garbage. These people have no life and a site like this is the only way they can lash out at their pathetic lives. Note the anonymous names they use. Lol. pathetic.
JCJXXL,
Please bring your family back to visit Fayetteville soon! I feel terrible about your experience this weekend but I’m afraid this BB&BS thing has been shifty from the start. Hopefully things may be finally catching up with the “organizers” – I use that term loosely. We do have many other smaller annual festivals throughout the area where, perhaps, you could have a little more luck. Cheers!
Where can I get a Bikes, Blues, Bar B Q tee shirts