Puerto Vallarta – A Biker’s Heaven!
1st Annual Ovejas Negras 69 Biker’s Fair
at the Flamingos Fair Grounds (behind Mega)
November 27 – 29, 2009
by Sylvie Scopazzo
On the weekend of November 27th, the streets of Puerto Vallarta will be roaring with the sounds of revving motorcycles. The “Ovejas Negras 69” will be hosting a biker event located at the Flamingos fair grounds just behind the Plaza Santa Maria near the Mega Commercial Centro.
They are expecting up to 1,500 motorbikes from all over Mexico and rumour has it a few bikers from Canada and the States. You don’t need to own a motorcycle to attend this event and unlike most biker events, there is no entrance fee. That’s right. This event is FREE!
The “Ovejas Negras 69” motorcycle club is spread throughout Mexico with a division represented here in Puerto Vallarta. This club accepts all motorcycle riders. Whether you ride a Harley or a Honda, a Crotch Rocket or a Scooter, the way they see it, if it has two wheels and a motor, you’re a biker!
The Puerto Vallarta club is excited about hosting their very first biker event and are grateful to the City for opening their doors and helping them make it happen. For the inauguration of this event, don’t be surprised to see the Mayor of Puerto Vallarta, Javier Bravo making his presence riding on the back of a motorcycle!
What can you expect from the bikers weekend?
On Saturday, November 28th around 4 pm you will begin to hear the roar of bikers as they make their way through the city for their official bike parade.
Besides being able to purchase a variety of motorbike accessories like leather goods and t-shirts etc, you will also have the opportunity to see some great local entertainment.
There will be 5 different bands playing throughout the event! The animation dancers from Hotel Canto Del Sol will also be performing on both Friday night and Saturday night. Their first night’s performance will be dancing to the tune of Rock N’ Roll and their second night will have a Caribbean flavour.
What is the “Ovejas Negras 69” purpose and goal of this event?
The club members want people to understand that Bikers are people that come from all walks of life. They are not the scary characters you may see on the big screen. They are regular citizens who have regular jobs that love to travel on two wheels. In this particular club you will find a doctor, business owners, students, retirees, lawyers and yes, even a folkloric dance teacher!
They also aim to make this event grow with each year as a way to help boost the economy of Vallarta. Just to give you an idea of the magnitude of these biker events, Mazatlan has close to 17,000 bikers who come to town for one weekend of the year. This of course has the locals and business owners grinning from ear to ear!
Everyone is welcome to this event and they encourage families to come out and enjoy all the different styles of bikes. The club members will be available throughout the event to answer any questions or simply to share their biker experiences.
Look for event posters around town and keep a special eye out for Saturday, November 28th around 4 pm. This is when you will begin to hear the roar of bikers as they make their way through the city for their official bike parade. Then again around 1 am, the bikers will take over the Malecón as the street will be closed off to cars. This is the biker’s night out in the town where you will see rows and rows of bikes parked in front of the local bars.
The “Ovejas Negras 69” would like to extend a special thank you to Lorena Lopez from Hotel Canto Del Sol who made it possible for the out of town bikers to enjoy the comforts of a great hotel at a discounted price. The club members would also like to thank the Canto Del Sol animation dancers who are donating their time and talent for this event.
The club would also like to thank the great city of Puerto Vallarta who donated many of their services including the permits department, the traffic police, security and sanitary department.
Lastly, the “Ovejas Negras 69” would like to wish Gus, a safe trip to Argentina. He is a Canadian rider from British Columbia who made a pit stop in Vallarta and decided to prolong his stay for the biker event.
I am happy and proud to say that I am also a part of the “Ovejas Negras 69” bikers club. To date, I am the only woman ‘rider’ in the club and was quickly accepted as an equal. Thanks guys!
Sunday, November 22, there will be a Music Festival and Celebration in Pitillal of St. Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians. This event is free, open to the public and is for the whole family.
By way of background, Peter Gray, whom many of you know as a strong advocate for many local charitable and cultural activities over the past 15 years, started the museum named in his honor in 2005. With his passing last year, responsibility for the future of the museum passed to a non-profit Board headed by his wife, Buri Gray, Nacho Cadena of La Leche Restaurant and the City Cultural Commission.