Biketemberfest organizers aim to raise the bar in event's 2nd year

LACONIA — Last year, local businessman Anthony Santage had an idea. If he threw a street party in mid-September, a couple of weeks after conventional wisdom says the season is over for Weirs Beach, he bet he could still get crowds of people to come down.

And it was a bet. He, and a few other local establishments, put their money on the line to hire three days’ worth of live entertainment, stock enough beer, and pay for the extra insurance. Then there’s all the time that Santagate and others spent lobbying the Laconia City Council and the New Hampshire Liquor Commission to allow them to block Lakeside Avenue, put a stage on the street, and allow patrons to buy and consume alcoholic beverages in the open air.

It turned out to be a winning bet.

Now, this weekend — Sept. 13-15 — Santagate and others are doubling down, hoping to turn out the biggest crowd Weirs Beach has seen in September.

“We’re hoping for 20,000 to 25,000 this year. We had 10,000 to 15,000 last year,” said Santagate, who owns the Tower Hill Tavern as well as the nearby dance club and music venue The Big House.

The no-cover, three-day block party will feature indoor and outdoor bars. Gates will open at 5 p.m. on Friday and at 11 a.m. on both weekend days.

Live music will start at 6 p.m. on Friday, and the headliner that night will be Jodie Cunningham. Music starts at noon on Saturday, with The Bars closing out the night. Bands will start playing again at noon on Sunday, leading up to headliner Warrant.

In addition to the events on Lakeside Avenue, there will be a motorcycle-themed lineup at the Weirs Beach Drive-In on both Friday and Saturday, Sept. 13 and 14. This year’s films include 1990’s “Masters of Menace” and the 1993 title “Running Cool.”

The Broken Spoke Saloon is getting in on the fun. On Saturday, Sept. 14, the establishment at the corner of Route 3 and Watson Road will play host to a custom bike show and competition, along with live music from 11 a.m. to midnight.

“It’s going to be bigger and better every year,” said Santagate, who added that he spent the off-season promoting the event at motorcycle events around the country.

People who attended last year’s event commented on social media that September was a great time to visit the Lakes Region, especially as a motorcyclist. There was much less congestion than during Motorcycle Week or during the busy summer months; the cooler weather made it more comfortable to wear riding leathers; and it was easier to find prime lodging locations, reviewers noted.

“I think we filled a void,” said Santagate. “I guess it was the right time to do it. All the planets were aligned.”

Chris Clark, one of the owners of The Crazy Gringo, said she wasn’t sure what to expect of last year’s inaugural Biketemberfest. In fact, she missed the start of the party because she was participating in a golf tournament. When she arrived that Friday night, she wouldn’t have been able to park if Santagate hadn’t saved a spot for her.

“It was a lot of fun. It brought a lot of people out,” she said.

This year, she’ll be better prepared. “I’m cleaning out my garage to make room for all the beer,” she said.

Clark said the event wasn’t rowdy, just a lot of people enjoying themselves and one another. “Just a nice, mellow crowd,” she said, including former regulars who used the occasion to revisit their old stomping grounds. “There was a lot of hugging.”

Another fan of the event is Jim Jobin, who owns the Weirs Beach Motel and Cottages. He has 32 units, between motel rooms and cottages. All but two of those units were empty a few days prior to the block party, but his reservation book was full for the weekend, even after raising the rates and requiring a two-night minimum for the event.

“Any event has a big effect” on his business, Jobin said, such as a popular act coming to the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion in Gilford. “This event is new, and it already is a big effect.”

Jobin said his business tends to lag after Labor Day, when families are concerned with getting their children back to school. His rooms will start to fill up a little more during leaf-peeping season, but, “This time of year, you’re really in a big lull,” Jobin said.

In that case, it will be music to Jobin’s ears that Santagate isn’t satisfied to have just one weekend festival in September. On Sept. 21, he will be holding the 2019 Laconia Blues Festival which will feature 12 hours of live music right on the sand at Weirs Beach.

For now, Santagate is focusing on turning Biketemberfest into one of the region’s premiere festivals.

“It’s the beginning of something big. It’s going to continue to get bigger as the seasons progress,” he said.