Hollister City Council approves return of Independence Bike Rally

HOLLISTER, Calif. (KION) -- Hollister City Council has unanimously approved the return of the Independence Bike Rally for this year during a special meeting on Tuesday night.

The rally has not been held in the city of Hollister since 2018. The Independence Bike Rally was first started in 1947.

Johnny's Bar & Grill owner Peter Lago spoke at the meeting speaking about how the rally would be beneficial to the city.

"If you're wondering if it's just we, the people, or just business owners, it is in fact every single business in San Benito Street wants this rally back," Lago said.

City Councilmember Rudy Picha voiced his support of the rally at the meeting with hopes that it can be done safely.

"I'm very optimistic that it can and I can see this being a very powerful thing for our local businesses," Picha said.

City Councilmember Rolan Resendiz also proposed a motion that to ask Amazon to sponsor the fireworks show due to the company having a warehouse in Hollister.

One of the main concerns about bringing the rally back was security. Next steps include working with the Hollister Police Department to secure security services and finalize an event security plan along with completing a contract with Roadshow, Inc. for promotion.