Roar on the Shore Bike Week organizers announced today that its 2019 event will move to the Lake Erie Speedway in North East, Pa. The event will take place July 17 through July 21 as scheduled.

The move was coming after city of Erie officials and ROTS organizers could not come to terms on reimbursement of city expenses for police overtime and other services for the highly popular motorcycle rally.

Roar on the Shore annually attracts up to 160-thousand visitors and tens of thousands of bikers into the community the third weekend in July. Over it’s 13 year history, the event has raised more than $900-thousand for a variety of local charitible organizations. The rally pumps millions of dollars into the local economy.

Thursday, Roar on the Shore Director Ralph Pontillo spoke exclusively to JET 24/FOX 66 and YourErie.com. He said ” Roar on the Shore continues to grow each year. With that growth comes more challenges particularly in the area of security and safety. As a result, we began the process of exploring alternate sites for the event — one that would allow us to fulfill our charitable purpose and meet the needs of our sponsors, vendors and the tens of thousands of visitors who join us each year. We are pleased to announce we have secured that spot. Starting this year, Lake Erie Speedway will be the home of Roar on the Shore.”

Pontillo said, “While we regret this necessary move, it is appropriate to acknowledge that Roar would not have grown so rapidly and so successfully without the critical support of the citizens of Erie. We are grateful for that support and are proud we will continue to raise those charitable funds on behalf of our community.”

The new facility will triple the space currently available in Perry Square. The speedway’s grandstands will allow for concert seating. Vendor Alley will expand its footprint to allow easy access to our vendors. The facility’s massive footprint area will provide ample parking. For added convenience, the speedway offers covered table seating and concessions, numerous full-service bars as well as stadium restrooms.

As it has been for the past 12 years, Roar on the Shore will not impose gate or concert fees. Rides will not be affected by the venue change. Concerts will take place at Lake Erie Speedway at their original time listed on the schedule. The same route for the annual Bringin’ in the Roar Parade will remain up to the City limit and then be rerouted to the new “Hub” at Lake Erie Speedway.

In the next several weeks, Roar on the Shore will make several exciting major announcements, each having a major impact on this year’s event and on our future growth.

Watch for continuing coverage on JET 24 & FOX 66, as we examine reaction to Erie’s largest downtown summer event leaving the center city.