Strange Saturday in Dixon

Strange Saturday in Dixon

As Hundreds flock to area

Story and photos from Dixon's Indcependent Voice Newspaper

 By Ted Hickman.

                Every city in the world likes to think of itself as unique, you know different. They like to think they have what nowhere else has. Dixon for one brief period in time this past Saturday certainly had what no place else on the planet had; a Hells Angel Motorcycle Club year end party just blocks away from a yuppie Wine Stroll and neither group knew the other event was going on…for the second year in a row yet.

                According to the Downtown Dixon Business Association spokesperson, Jill Orr, the open to the public “Wine Stroll” sold a record 500 tickets at $25 each in a fund raising effort for the business group. The proceeds she said would be used to fund both the downtown Halloween and Christmas tree lighting parties. This event took place from 4 to 9 pm and the downtown and participating businesses were crowded with a happy, mostly 30 something crowd who enjoyed the mild weather and the plethora of wines to sample.

                A few blocks to the south a little after noon, hundreds of motorcycles started arriving in packs from four or five to several hundred. They just kept coming until the Dixon May fair grounds parking lot looked like a sea of motorcycles collectively valued in the millions of dollars. At its zenith about 400 motorcycles were counted. This event was an, “open to the public affair” as well and tickets for it were also $25. They expected 500 or so bikers of all kinds but prepared food for 600 and had to supplement the menu as supplies exceeded demand.

                They had live entertainment, information booths and indoor area for displays and huge whole roasted pigs being served for lunch. Then came the famous raffle and shortly afterwards the fairgrounds looked like a ghost town. “Friends of the Fair” had the beer booth.

                The main packs of bikers came in from the south, instead of down the main drag, so the wine folks really never saw the huge numbers nor did the bikers see the wine folks. Some of the hundreds of bikes left going down the main street in town and a few of the wine drinkers noticed, “There seemed to be a lot of motorcycles in town today.” No one apparently looked at the “colors” on the back of the bike riders because when someone told people they heard the Hells Angels were having a party “just down the street” they refused to believe them. The bikers on the other hand had no problem believing the yuppies were strolling around downtown drinking wines.

                So in summation: Last Saturday over 1,000 people were in this small city, half swilling wine and the other half slamming beers, less than a half a mile apart…neither knowing the other even existed…pretty unique place wouldn’t you say…