Hopes were high for the first annual Sturgis Canada motorcycle rally and music festival in Merritt, British Columbia, on August 21 to 24, 2014. But unfortunately, organizers had to end the event a day early—apparently due to low attendance and some security issues.
The weather didn’t help either. Thursday, which was a free day for the residents of Merritt, was overcast and stormy. But a few diehards did brave the rain to watch the bands Alkatine, Teenage Head, Coney Hatch and Alias perform live onstage.
The weather improved on Friday, but not by much. Thunderstorms still put a damper on the number of people buying tickets. Rock bands Killer Dwarfs, Nick Gilder & Sweeney Todd, Canned Heat and Jefferson Starship performed that night.
Things started to look up on Saturday, though, with sunny skies bringing more patrons out to the festival grounds. Jasmine Cain, a native of Sturgis, South Dakota, got the party started that afternoon with her high-energy show and heavy-metal riffs. Canadian hard rock band Moxy and American southern rock band Molly Hatchet kept the energy going until the headliner, Burton Cummings, took to the stage.
Everyone seemed to enjoy Jasmine Cain’s performance on Saturday—even the parrot, Gabriella. — Kirsten Armleder photo
By then, the attendance had picked up, and a crowd had formed in front of the stage and in the beer gardens. Cummings, who is a Canadian Music Hall of Famer, delighted everyone with classic hits like “American Woman,” “These Eyes” and “No Time.”
There seemed to be a light at the end of tunnel, but on Sunday, the mood on the festival grounds turned bleak, to say the least. An announcement was made earlier in the day that the festival was cancelled. An official press release has not been issued, but this is what was written on the Sturgis Canada Rally’s Facebook Page two days later:
“Good morning. We cancelled due to lack of attendance. We had some security issues as well, and over half our volunteers didn’t show up, however, the ones that did were amazing. It was no longer viable to run the event and risk public safety with the security team fighting amongst themselves. We are investigating further on that end of things. When we had such low attendance, everyone became agitated and worried about being paid. Security had not been paid from previous events at that site and became concerned. We are still cleaning up so once I can meet and talk to everyone I will know more. . . . ”
According to Keith Sharp of Word Travels Fast Consulting (the booking agency that was hired to supply the musical talent for Sturgis Canada), all the bands that did perform got paid well in advance, which made them happy.
“Burton Cummings' people were thrilled,” said Sharp. “They got all their monies and they had a good time and enjoyed the hospitality.”
Burton Cummings was definitely the highlight, and his show drew the most people. — Kirsten Armleder photo
Ticket holders, on the other hand, who paid for their tickets in advance do not share the enthusiasm—especially those who paid for a four-day VIP ticket. There hasn’t been any word on whether ticket holders will receive a refund or not, or whether the event will take place again next year.
The infrastructure was there, just not the support from spectators. — Kirsten Armleder photo
Sturgis Canada, which was previously known as Sturgis North, started in 2011. It was first held in Salmon Arm, then Vernon, B.C., but then it was cancelled for a couple of years—reportedly due to some financial issues.
Hopefully, the organizers of Sturgis Canada can get everything straightened out, because as Sharp said, “It’s got potential.”
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