A new venue 10 miles up the road from the J&P Cycles headquarters, outside Anamosa, Iowa, proved to be a good move according to customer feedback at the company's annual Open House Rally, held June 27-28 at the Jones County Fairgrounds, Monticello, Iowa.
Rain on Sunday dampened attendance, but just under 20,000 motorcycle enthusiasts attended the event overall, including some from as far afield as California, Florida, Massachusetts, New York and West Virginia.
Those in attendance experienced a weekend full of motorcycle-themed fun, with free live music both days. Attendees were in awe of Cowboy Kenny’s Steel Rodeo Tour on both days and were able to enjoy free lunch provided by Allstate Insurance.
Plus, customers were able to "see some of the hottest new products in the motorcycle industry with more than 100 vendors on site, including Kuryakyn, Mustang, Vance & Hines, Performance Machine and Progressive Suspension, and many more."
The J&P Cycles Open House Rally started as a small Customer Appreciation Day held by co-founders John and Jill Parham to thank their customers for their business throughout the year. Now, as the world’s largest aftermarket retailer of parts and accessories for Harley-Davidson and V-Twin Cruiser motorcycles, the event is a full blown rally, and, outside of Sturgis, is one of the only places in the Midwest to see this many motorcycle manufacturers in one area.
“The new, larger location this year was a huge hit! After years of ongoing growing pains, it was nice to have room to spread out and have the ability to host concerts,” said J&P Cycles General Manager Zach Parham (and son of co-founders John and Jill Parham). “Overall, this was a phenomenal event – thank you to all who attended.”
Just over $33,000 was raised for local non-profit causes. A silent auction held on Saturday and Sunday raised just over $6,000 for the National Motorcycle Museum. Next year’s event is scheduled for June 25-26, 2016 at the Jones County Fairgrounds.
www.jpcycles.com