More than 1500 bikers will converge on Waimate this weekend.
The March Hare Rally is in its 31st year, transforming the South Canterbury town into a motorcyclists’ paradise at the end of summer.
The organisers had made only minor tweaks to the rally’s winning formula, March Hare president Graeme Lane, of Waimate, said.
Due to changes at the Waimate Showgrounds brought about by other users — Waimate Shears and the Southern Canterbury A&P Association were building a new pavilion at the grounds — the rally’s stage had shifted this year.
Three bands, tyre-tossing, a bungy cord challenge, tug-of-war, tattoo competitions and just meeting and greeting other motorcycle fans would entertain from Friday night on.
Kevin Farrell started the event at the Waihao Forks Hotel as a birthday party, but it grew, and about a decade ago it was taken on by the March Hare club, which shifted it to the Waimate Showgrounds, so the town could benefit from another calendar event.
At present, no more than 20 volunteers ran the "whole thing", Mr Lane said. And though he was not a bike owner himself, that was in danger of changing.
"There’s some really fancy bikes there," he said.
"A lot of trikes show up now."
