Wetzel Motorcycle Club ready to party

CINDY WOOD/independent feature writer

A 25-acre pond shaped like a Harley Davidson emblem. A poker run. Tattoo contests, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. It all combines to create this year’s Wetzel Motorcycle Club swap meet, which arrives in full force today.

It’s been 25 years since a group of friends gathered at a motorcycle garage to plan a road trip the next day. When one of the group needed a bigger gas tank on his motorcycle, the friends got together and mounted a spare tank, painted the bike with the phrase “Property of Wetzel MC” and so the local chapter of biker enthusiasts began.

The familiar “chop chop chop” of Harley Davidsons will fill the streets of Van Wert today as thousands of people flock to Wetzel for a non-stop weekend of anything and everything fun.

The party itself began humbly with less than 500 people. Wanting to squash the negative image associated with bikers, club members elected to use proceeds from the first year’s party to financially assist those in need. As the club grew, so did the party, and now Wetzelland encompasses acres and acres of land on the Van Wert-Paulding County Line Road. Sticking to its founders’ mission, the club has donated over $100,000 to Van Wert and surrounding communities over the past 10 years. Members also adopted four miles of U.S. 224 in the Ohio Department of Transportation’s “Adopt a Highway” program.

In short, the group likes to work hard and play hard, and every year members look forward to the last weekend of July to kick back, relax and enjoy some good old rock and roll.

Marking its 25th anniversary, the club has organized an action-packed weekend, highlighted by a Saturday evening show by Lynyrd Skynyrd, which rose to fame in the 1970s and is still packing concert venues today.

Lynyrd Skynyrd was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, and, in 2010, was ranked in VH1’s 100 greatest artists of all time. In addition, the wildly-popular “Free Bird” was named third greatest guitar solo by Guitar World.

Taking over the stage tonight will be Little Texas, as well as local favorites The Dogz, 69 Band and Burnt River Band.

Trish Carter, a regular attendee at the annual party, is anxiously awaiting this year’s celebration. “Lynyrd Skynyrd. Woo Hoo!” she shouted.

Stephonie Knittle will also be in attendance and is looking forward to not only the band, but also people watching. “I’m looking forward to getting away and just having a good time,” Knittle said.

For local residents, it’s a chance to cut loose. For local businesses, it’s a much-needed shot in the arm. Local convenience stores see triple the traffic over the weekend, and local restaurants enjoy a tremendous boost in breakfast business. Gas stations, hotels and retail businesses also enjoy higher profits when the bikers come to town.

“For a Thursday, we’ve seen more people than usual,” said Cody Rolsten, an employee at Pak-A-Sak on North Washington Street. “Friday is when we really get busy and have bikers coming in getting gas and ice and drinks.”

An employee at Van Wert Party Mart on South Washington Street agreed that, while traffic hadn’t increased much Thursday evening, Friday evening will be a different story.

“It will definitely be heavier Friday night,” she said.

Ready or not, the party is here. “I can’t wait,” Tina Smith of Van Wert said. “I’m really looking forward to Little Texas and really just having a nice, fun-filled weekend.”