Article By: Heather Callen Photos Courtesty of Thunder In The Valley
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017 marked a 20-year milestone not only for this rag but also for another Western PA motorcycle long time holdout, Thunder in the Valley. Back in 1998 several local motorbike shops and enthusiasts approached the Cambria County CVB about starting a motorcycle rally. Back then, and even still today the CVB was primarily run by a group of what many would consider to be “soccer moms.” What the heck could they possibly know about putting together a motorcycle rally? Well, obviously they knew something because, in June of 1998, Thunder in The Valley
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April ‘18 - CYCLE SOURCE MAGAZINE
came together at Central Park in Johnstown, PA with roughly 3,000 attendees. They admit that some of the first-year success may have been due to combining the new event with Old Fashioned Bargain Days, which had been around for a bit already. However, they didn’t just combine the two and hope for the best, they added Hill Climbs in Beaverdale and a Welcome Party at Franklin Ballfield, and encouraged local shops to host bike events at their own locations, all of which are still happening 20 years later. Despite having a minimal budget and only advertising in club newsletters (cool fact: Cycle Source Magazine was one of the
