I read this interesting blog post of DaCola friend, Jamie;

So, I live right on Phillips Avenue, and have to deal with the street closing a couple of times a year. not really a big deal, and we usually close the store early so we can enjoy ourselves too.

but….

the Hot Harley Nights event has turned into a giant douchebag-free for all- festival! and, this Wednesday, the hot summer nights ‘little brother’ clusterfuck, will be no better..

It’s time for hot harley nights to move on, and all events like them, or for the city to enforce the liquor laws already in place- namely the open container laws. the alcohol belongs in a ‘beer garden’ tent and needs to stay there, or inside of the bar you purchased your drink from. The police are overwhelmed and enforcement is impossible otherwise. minors not being carded, loss of business for the whole day, with litter, puke, and urine to greet residents and business owners in the aftermath the next day.
hot harley nights is not what i want in my neighborhood. i want a responsible, safe, retail, entertainment, residential mix for the heart of our city. i know i’m not the only one….

Jamie and her husband own a downtown business. I have heard these complaints from other DT business owners also. While I think HHN’s is a great charitable event, it does bring in some ‘D-Bags’ that have to ruin it for everyone else. But we can complain about them all we want, d-bags are here to stay, sorry to say. I do agree with moving the event to a larger space like Canaries Stadium or the fairgrounds where the drinking can be monitored. While ‘some’ DT business owners do enjoy an uptick in business, it isn’t a goldmine for them, actually more of a hassle then anything.

I would love to see the police reports from the day of the event and wonder if the hassle is worth the economic impact. JazzFest has figured it out. Keep your event contained.