Thunderbeach Fall Rally
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Road Master
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 770
Likes: 4
From: Western, KY
Thunderbeach Fall Rally
Just returned Sunday from the Thunderbeach fall rally in Panama City Beach. Its been a few years since Ive been (2010) and I have to say I was disappointed this time. most large vendors were not there and the ones that are there are all selling the same things. It seemed attendance was down this time too. Hopefully this isn't the beginning of the end for the event. Maybe the spring rally will be better.
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 193
Likes: 5
From: SC
I went this past spring for the first time and was pretty disappointed with the whole thing. Very spread out, not many good vendors and all selling the usual rally stuff/crap. Reminded me a lot of Myrtle Beach which is now just a shadow of what it used to be back in the day.
Here in the south east, Daytona is really the only good rally left and it's good spring and fall. It can also get pretty predictable too and I find myself taking a year or two off sometimes until I get the bug to go again. Even Sturgis has a ton of vendors all selling the same rally stuff/crap but they both also have tons of really good OEM and aftermarket vendors for the cool/interesting stuff (not to mention a lot of good bars and bands).
Here in the south east, Daytona is really the only good rally left and it's good spring and fall. It can also get pretty predictable too and I find myself taking a year or two off sometimes until I get the bug to go again. Even Sturgis has a ton of vendors all selling the same rally stuff/crap but they both also have tons of really good OEM and aftermarket vendors for the cool/interesting stuff (not to mention a lot of good bars and bands).
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Road Master
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 770
Likes: 4
From: Western, KY
I agree the spring rally is bigger/ better. Ive been going since 2006 and I have seen it decline alot since then. They just reset the date for the fall rally til like the 3rd weekend in October to catch vendors between Daytona Biketoberfest and ROT rally. Thats kinda late in the season even in the south. I hope it does well. You use to see alot of major vendors there but not so much anymore.
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Road Master
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,005
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From: Alabama
I have been to the Thunder Beach spring and fall rallies for the last 5 years.
The fall 2014 rally was by far the worst for vendors and attendance.
At 8pm Friday and Saturday you could ride all the way down front beach road and have only one traffic jam. It was at Sharky's where there were some vendors. I usually avoid front beach like the plague because of the traffic.
Even at pier park both Friday and Saturday their was no problem parking on the main street. I have never seen the attendance this low.
Maybe the spring rally will be better, I sure hope this was not a sign of things to come. It was surely a disappointment this time.
The fall 2014 rally was by far the worst for vendors and attendance.
At 8pm Friday and Saturday you could ride all the way down front beach road and have only one traffic jam. It was at Sharky's where there were some vendors. I usually avoid front beach like the plague because of the traffic.
Even at pier park both Friday and Saturday their was no problem parking on the main street. I have never seen the attendance this low.
Maybe the spring rally will be better, I sure hope this was not a sign of things to come. It was surely a disappointment this time.
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Road Master
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 770
Likes: 4
From: Western, KY
2004 Sierra I know what you mean. I grew up in Talladega and still have friends there. I stopped there Tuesday night and 3 of us rode down Wed. morning. traffic was light the whole way. I was very surprised.
Intermediate
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
From: Georgia
Competing Rallies in Myrtle Beach and Milledgeville probably had a bit to do with the low turnout as well. The girlfriend and I usually go to the Spring Rally but had to postpone and go to Fall instead this year. It wasn't terrible, still had a good time but it's a ghost of the Spring event...
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