The rumble of motorcycles resonated through the downtown of Bridgewater on Saturday, July 21, as the first annual Rally on the River kicked off. This first year event was developed by Doug Nauss, an avid motorcycle enthusiast with a simple goal in mind.
“Being proud to call Bridgewater home, I wanted to give back to my community, so, under the Motorcycle Maritimers name, I decided to organize an event to celebrate motorcycles and community,” said Nauss. Nauss created Motorcycle Maritimers on March 31 of 2016 and his hope is to grow Motorcycle Maritimers to be a recognizable image within the maritime motorcycle community. During the opening ceremony, Bridgewater Mayor David Mitchell spoke about the importance of these events to the town and feels that this will get bigger and better each year. He also pledged the town’s support for the event to continue.
With most outdoor events, the weather is always a concern and this event was no different. Steady rain was constant as food and vendors and sponsors set up their displays, however, as the evening progressed, the skies cleared and the sun appeared, giving those in attendance an added boost of energy. The riders that attended came from all walks of life and from several areas, both local and from afar. One couple on vacation from a town just outside Philadelphia saw the event on social media and decided that they would make this part of their Nova Scotia vacation plans. They also said that they will be back next year and will bring friends along with them.
The evening had something for everyone and was certainly a “kid friendly” event with many parents and their children walking through the many bikes on display and enjoying the band, Thunder Kiss, who performed throughout the evening from King Street Court. The crowd favourite event was certainly the show and shine with more than 30 motorcycles on display and judged by those in attendance at the rally. The motorcycle community is a tight knit family and the pride for their motorcycles was very apparent as the first place winner of the show and shine, Lorne Gracie from Pinegrove, was announced. Gracie said that he would be back next year to defend his trophy.
The money raised will go directly to help support the new Bridgewater Skate Park — a cheque Nauss will be presenting in the amount of $655. The 2018 Rally on the River was a tremendous success and Nauss said his intent is to make this a recurring annual event with hopes to grow Rally on the River in following years. He also wanted to thank the many sponsors and volunteers that came forward to support the first time event.
