MC Week scheduling in flux amid pandemic

LACONIA — Motorcycle Week Executive Director Charlie St. Clair was to ask the City Council on Monday for the flexibility of a two-month delay for his jam-packed event, but it’s anybody’s guess if even that later time frame will work.

The original dates for the area’s signature summer rally were June 13-21. The contingency would be Aug. 22-30.

“We’ll see how it goes,” St. Clair said. “If it doesn’t work out at the end of August, the situation is still in flux, we'll try something else. We’ll move it on down the road.”

Much depends on when the coronavirus pandemic eases. Motorcycle Week events typically put thousands of people from out of state in crowded spaces. Social distancing would be difficult.

“If this is still going on, we're not going to do it,” St. Clair said. “It’s safe to say we're not out of the woods yet. We’re hoping to be out of the woods by the end of August. Everybody is holding their breath on that.”

Governor’s orders prohibit restaurants from offering dining room service and do not allow most guest lodging. Those orders extend to at least May 4, but may be extended.

Gov. Chris Sununu has said that one of the prerequisites for easing the restrictions will be a decline in COVID-19 case numbers in the state for at least two weeks, and that has not started to happen yet.

He is also closely watching the severe outbreak in Massachusetts because many residents of that and other Eastern states come to New Hampshire during the summer, including for Motorcycle Week.