Photo by Va Va Voom Photos
Four Wheels Move the Body but Two Wheels Move the Soul…
Vintage Iron Club Bike Fest Roaring into West Palm Beach This Month
Samuel Taylor Coleridge may not have felt he had life by the horns when he wrote The Rime of the Ancient Mariner but South Florida residents and visitors alike can sure party their asses off this upcoming February at the Inaugural Iron & Clematis Vintage Motorcycle Festival in West Palm Beach, Fl.
Few things get a motor head’s blood pumping quite like the words “vintage motorcycle festival” and with over 250 motorcycles and scooters, dating from 1988 and older, this year, the Palm Beach Gardens-based Vintage Iron Club and the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority team up to melt even the most authentic metal-lovin’ heart.
Not your typical bike show, the Vintage Iron Club describes their festival as “a family event aimed at people who enjoy vintage motorcycles with a gentleman’s touch.” Daniel Newcomb, co-founder of the Vintage Iron Club and longtime restoration enthusiast, shares his excitement for the event, explaining:
“Vintage Iron Club has been attending vintage rallies for years throughout Florida but never saw any events like they do in Chicago or Portland… So we wanted to create an event that was geared towards that style of larger city festivals. The core members of the club, Bob Gilbert, Bart Springer and myself, decided to tackle the idea and it grew faster than we knew what to do with it.”
The event will take place in the ever-popular historical downtown district of West Palm Beach, Fl where the glistening of these pristine bike engines is matched only by the twinkle of the event’s backdrop. Starting at the Intracoastal Waterway and heading west on Clematis street, attendees can enjoy over 500 blocks of food, fun, live music, a vintage fashion show at sunset and of course, beautiful custom-made and restored bikes all set against a colorful variety of nightclubs, boutiques, antique shops, restaurants and historical landmarks.
A portion of the proceeds from this event will go to Canine Companions for Independence (cci.org), the U.S.’s largest nonprofit provider of assistance dogs for the disabled. When asked why CCI was chosen to be a sponsee for this event, Newcomb gave an answer too inspiring not to share:
“One of the club’s friends has a son with Spinal Muscular Atrophy; AJ Brockman. AJ has faced challenges his entire life and has been wheelchair-bound since the age of two. As the disease began to devastate his body, AJ pursued painting and quickly realized it was a true passion. As AJ’s disease progressed, however, he lost strength in his hands and transitioned from acrylic paints to computer generated art. Today, he creates his art with a mouse and one finger on his left hand (affectionately called his ‘million dollar finger’) but when his hand falls from his mouse and AJ is unable to lift his hand back into position, he can summon help from his devoted Canine Companions for Independence service dog, Dre.
“Dre is my right hand man—literally! With his assistance, I don’t have to stop working to get help. Having Dre adds to my independence and productivity”, AJ explains. AJ has never let his disability slow him down. “I view myself as being ‘differently-abled’ rather than ‘disabled’ and I live my life to the fullest every day with Dre by my side.”
“Heart and soul go a long way” says Newcomb, referring to the restored and custom builds being shown at the event. Of his favorites, Cafe Racers and Vintage Vespas will be showing at the event. “It will be fun to see that Mods vs. Rockers feel at the show. Registered so far, there will be vintage Harley’s, Brit bikes and all the great Japanese bikes ranging from 50’s – 80’s and maybe a few earlier ones if we are lucky!”
Musical performances for the event showcase a variety of live bands, spanning genres of rock, including the Buckleheads (punk rock), The Riot Act (classic garage band style rock n’ roll), Morgan Bernard Band (pop rock) and Slip and the Spinouts (rockabilly).
So grab a friend; grab your kids; GRAB A CAMERA! and head down to what is sure to be a staple of West Palm Beach’s recreational events; highly memorable and exceptionally entertaining.
If you are the owner of a vintage bike or scooter and would like to show at the event, visit vintageironclub.com to register your ride!
For more information about the event and for a full list of participating companies, vendors and sponsors visit us HERE.
Date: February 8
Time: 2pm – 9pm
Cost: Free Admission
Where: Downtown West Palm Beach on Clematis St. west of Flagler Dr.
~Danielle DiSpigna
