'It's all about the motorcycles' at Friday the 13th in Port Dover
Published Sep 13, 2024 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 3 minute read
An estimated 100,000 bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts descended on the town of Port Dover - population 7,000 - for the traditional Friday the 13th Gathering on Friday September 13, 2024.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor
Norfolk County mayor Amy Martin (left) chats with Sara Rosznowiecki, husband Greg and daughter Ava, age 2 on Walker Street in Port Dover on Friday September 13, as the traditional Friday the 13th Gathering was in full swing.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor
Thong Man has been making his rather bold appearance for more than 30 years -- riding a motorcycle wearing a thong and not much else -- as he joins an estimated 100,000 bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts that descended on the town of Port Dover - population 7,000 - for the traditional Friday the 13th Gathering on Friday September 13, 2024.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor
Larry Davis, a Burford-area farmer and town crier for the County of Brant was among an estimated 100,000 bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts that flocked to the town of Port Dover - population 7,000 - for the traditional Friday the 13th Gathering on Friday.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor
Canadian Forces veterans (left to right) Chris Miller of Port Colborne, Lou Moffatt of Niagara Falls, and Bill Livingston of Fort Erie wait for their food order at Knechtels on Walker Street in Port Dover during the traditional Friday the 13th Gathering on Friday.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor
Norfolk County-based band The Echelon (left to right) Brandon Vary, Marlon Schott-Ramirez, Mike Matthews, and Hannah Dolson perform on the Budweiser stage on Walker Street during the traditional Friday the 13th Gathering in Port Dover on Friday.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor
Lineups at restaurants were huge, including here at The Arbor as an estimated 100,000 bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts descended on the town of Port Dover - population 7,000 - for the traditional Friday the 13th Gathering on Friday.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor
A portion of Main Street is closed to vehicular traffic but lined with vendors as an estimated 100,000 bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts descended on the town of Port Dover - population 7,000 - for the traditional Friday the 13th Gathering on Friday.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor
Alan and Raila Rintala of Toronto rode their motorcycles to join about 100,000 who descended on the town of Port Dover - population 7,000 -- for the traditional Friday the 13th Gathering on Friday September 13, 2024 in Port Dover.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor
Esther Domike (centre) of Cambridge buys a t-shirt from Peter Butler of the Erie 149 Masonic Lodge for her client Jason who lives In a Community Living residence, whom she brought to Port Dover on Friday September 13 for the traditional Friday the 13th Gathering.Photo by Brian Thompson /The Expositor
Long processions of motorcycles roared into Port Dover for a Friday the 13th tradition that goes back 40 years.
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By mid-morning the lakeside town of 7,000 was already thumping with loud rock music, thick crowds of pedestrians and, of course, rows of gleaming bikes of every make, model, colour and design.
“It’s all about the motorcycles,” said Raila Rintala of Toronto, who rode into town with her husband Alan. “It’s fun when you’re riding in, and people are waving and taking pictures. You feel like a celebrity.”
With riders coming and going all day and into the night, it’s hard to peg just how many people will attend the event. But Amie Ferris, director with the Port Dover Kinsmen, one of the lead organizers, said with the unseasonably warm weather and bright sunshine, the number could reach 100,000.
Chris Miller of Port Colborne, aboard his Yamaha V-Star; Harley rider Lou Moffatt of Niagara Falls; and Bill Livingston of Fort Erie on his Honda Goldwing, gathered outside Knechtel’s on the Beach where business was brisk for burgers and fries and the eatery’s famous perch and pickerel.
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All veterans who belong to the same social group, they have made a Friday the 13th ride a bit of a habit – but they don’t stay too long.
“I’ve got my shirt and my badge and my food, so I’m good to go,” said Miller.
The roots of the event go back to 1981 when a Port Dover motorcyclist and small group of friends got together at a local bar. They had so much fun, they decided to come back every Friday the 13th.
Each Friday the 13th, more people showed up and, when the crowds became overwhelming, the Kinsmen took over to create a more organized event and now involves months of planning, more than 500 volunteers, and co-ordination of police, EMS, the fire department, and Norfolk County staff.
“It’s a great opportunity for the community,” said Norfolk Mayor Amy Martin, who was in the thick of the crowd sporting her Friday the 13th T-shirt.
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A Port Dover native, Martin said she has missed only two events in her life.
“I like the energy. It’s a great opportunity for the community. It’s great for tourism. I like the respect people have for it. They use the garbage cans. By Saturday morning, the garbage is gone and the roads are open.”
The gatherings are also a big money-maker, not just for year-round businesses in Port Dover, but for local non-profit groups and organizations.
Members of the Masonic Lodge in Port Dover were selling their version of Friday the 13th T-shirts on Main Street. Ian McFadden said proceeds go toward upkeep of the lodge and allow the group to make donations to various community causes.
Manning the beer tent on Friday were Port Dover Minor Hockey moms and dads raising money that will go toward buying new jerseys for the young players.
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As visitors enjoyed a cold beer, they were entertained by Norfolk-based band, The Echelon, with Brandon Vary (guitar), Hannah Dolson (vocals, keyboard), Marlon Schott-Ramirez (drums), and Mike Matthews (bass, vocals).
“This is a dream come true,” said Port Dover resident Vary just before taking the stage. “Playing in front of all these bikers is a milestone.”
County of Brant town crier Larry Davis is known for his booming voice but wasn’t about to compete with music and thunder of passing motorcycles as he grabbed a bite to eat on Walker Street.
“You think they’d even hear me?” he said with a grin.
A motorcyclist for 58 years, hooked when he took his first spin on a Honda 150 as a teen, Davis now rides a Honda Goldwing 1800. He comes to Friday the 13th to admire the bikes and draw some inspiration from the modifications riders undertake to make the machines their own.
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It can be a costly hobby, said Rintala.
“You either have a bank account or a bike,” she said.
Norfolk OPP were warning motorists to be alert to increased motorcycle traffic on the roads Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There was a heightened police presence throughout Port Dover for traffic control and to “maintain a secure environment.”
A 23-year-old motorcyclist from Oxford County was killed in a crash with an SUV just before 7 a.m. Friday on Thompson Road East in Waterford. Norfolk OPP Const. Andrew Gamble said on Friday afternoon he had no information about whether the motorcyclist was on the way to Port Dover.
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