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PORT DOVER Friday, the 13th meeting of bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts this week, will be dampened not only by forecasting rain and thunderstorms, but also by COVID-19 restrictions.
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The Norfolk Town Council declared the gathering a “non-event” this year, which means that no permits will be issued for beer tents and vendors. Campsites in the area are also closed.
“I think there will be a lot going on,” said Dan Rieckermann, who and his wife own Shaena Pearl’s boutique on Main Street.
In the past few years, an estimated 100,000 people have attended the annual motorcyclists meeting in the small town on the shores of Lake Erie, especially when Friday the 13th falls on a warm month.
“I think it will encourage more day-trippers,” said Shaena Rieckermann. “I think the people who are going to stay have already rented accommodation and are already here.”
She said her employees would wear masks and limit the capacity in the store to six people.
“Regarding the outside area, we require people approaching the table to wear masks. It’s a little worrying. “
As she spread out a variety of t-shirts on Thursday that had already been sold, the shopkeeper said that once the sale of permits to vendors outside of town began to interfere, Norfolk County had a bad impact on profits, which used to be up to $ 20,000. Dollars in t-shirt sales.
“Now that there is no stake in the county, it’s an opportunity for local business owners to make a decent profit again.”
Jan Overend, of the Port Dover Board of Trade, said the Ontario county and provincial police force had created a traffic plan with a temporary one-way policy to circulate traffic through the city on Friday.
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“There are facilities for the expected crowd, so there is some level of support. But a lot is missing from a normal event on Friday, August 13th. “
Sandy McNama, who had just moved into town from Richmond Hill in December, went to the Board of Trade office to buy a t-shirt.
“This is my first official Friday the 13th as a Port Dover resident,” she said. “I think it’s going to be a fun day. I am sure they will still easily bring 100,000 people here.
“I’ve been to Sturgis, South Dakota and Myrtle Beach so it will be like home to me.”
bethompson@postmedia.com