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LAKELAND, FL – After losing its long-running Rhinebeck Grand National Meet in the Hudson Valley, the Antique Motorcycle Club of America has now announced plans for a new National Meet in central New York. The meet will be held July 5-7 and will be staged by the club’s Empire Chapter.
Keith Kizer, executive director of the AMCA, said today that the meet will be staged at the fairgrounds in Trumansburg, NY and can “hold up to 330 swap meet spaces.” He added that the Empire Chapter wants the meet to take more of a family-oriented approach than other shows with wine tours and other activities for spouses and kids. “They’re focused on that,” he said.
The chapter’s website says that it draws its membership “from Buffalo to Albany, New York City to the Canadian border.” The AMCA website says more info on the meet will be posted “in the coming weeks” on the Empire Chapter’s website.
The unexpected announcement came following the collapse earlier this year of the Rhinebeck meet, which had “National” status – that is, it was sanctioned and/or promoted by the AMCA – for 11 years (from 2007 to 2017).
This year, the Hudson Valley and Big Sand Bar (Long Island) chapters that staged the Rhinebeck meet reportedly failed to submit the necessary paperwork for a National meet, and the event downgraded to regional status and shifted to mid-June dates.
That change, coupled with the expulsion in April of the Hudson Valley chapter’s president and primary meet organizer Dan Henke, resulted in plummeting attendance and an end to the event.
The New York National Meet fills the void created by the demise of the Rhinebeck show. The Empire Chapter has been running a regional meet in Brookfield, NY in recent years and decided to upgrade.
“They’ve been talking about it for a while. They put together a proposal and sent it to me,” said Kizer, explaining that the timing was perfect as the AMCA board of directors was planning a teleconference the next day. Approval was granted.
The New York National Meet will give lovers of old motorcycles three shows to attend in the northeast in 2019. The Perkiomen Chapter National Meets will be staged April 26-27 in Oley, PA and the Yankee Chapter National Meet will be held Aug. 2-3 in Terryville, CT.
Given the fact the New York National Meet will be staged on a holiday weekend, it may take three to five years to gain traction. “It’ll take a few years to get a toe-hold,” Kizer said.
– By Bud Wilkinson
(Photos from 2016 Rhinebeck Grand National Meet)
They should have had this national meet in brookfield ny where prior to the rhinebeck experiment brook field was a national meet for years. The madison county fairgrounds bent over backwards to accommodate the annual meet .so after 30 years to show their gratitude they move the location …I guess it’s just like going to Walmart instead of supporting asmall mom and pop store.i went to trumansburg and wasn’t impressed. Looking forward to Brookfield 3rd week in August
This is very good news indeed. I’m looking forward to riding one of my old motorcycles to this beautiful scenic area of New York state Of course half the fun of going is getting there especially when you’re riding an old machine.
Thanks to the AMCA Empire Chapter Members for volunteering to sponsor an AMCA National Meet in Trumansburg NY July 5-7, 2019. This new National Meet fills the void left by the demise of the Rhinebeck Meet. I encourage all AMCA Members and other old bike enthusiasts to support this meet while it becomes a well established stop on the AMCA National Meet circut. This new Meet also increases the opportunity for AMCA members to have their motorcycles judged at a meet closer to home. This is also an opportunity for old bike enthusiasts in the middle upstate New York area to join the AMCA and have a National Meet in their backyard.
Richard Spagnolli