Organizers: Hot August Bikes hotter than ever

Hot August Bikes, an all-day motorcycle poker run, show and fun family day, promises to be better than ever Saturday.

From camping availability, biker games and live music to dozens of food and merchant vendors, a children’s jump house and water slide, the event will have activities for all ages, said Roberta Thomson, production coordinator.

The annual poker run and show was originally created to draw people into the Porterville Historical Museum and it is still one of the museum’s major fundraisers. But this year, a second organization will benefit from the event — Porterville Adult Day Care Services.

“This is the first time we’ve been asked to do the whole thing,” said Al Manente, co-chairman and owner of Manente’s Sportsbar at Lake Success. “We’ve held the after hours party here for five years and I got to thinking, ‘Why not have the whole thing at the lake?’”

The poker run will start at the Porterville Museum. Registration will be from 9 to 10 a.m., with the run starting shortly after.

“The [poker] run will be about 80 miles, running through the foothills and ending at Lake Success,” Mary Manente said. “We’ll have high-hand wins and low-hand wins and a 50-50 raffle.”

The “Biker Games” will begin shortly after the poker run ends.

“We’ll have the ‘Wienie Bite’ — we place a wienie on a fork and suspend it by string,” Thomson said. “The bike drives by really slow and the passenger on the motorcycle must try to take as big a bite as possible from it. It’s kind of like limbo, you have to go as slow as you can under it.”

Another planned game is the slow race, where the last person to the finish line wins.

One of the most anticipated games will be the dunk tank, Al Manente said.

He’s is trying to get several local celebrities to participate in the dunk tank.

“I want to personally challenge some people — Mayor Cameron Hamilton, [Tulare County Supervisor] Allen Ishida, and Hopper from KTIP Radio,” Al Manente said. “It’s for a great cause. I want the three of them to come out and auction themselves off for the dunk tank to raise money for the Porterville Museum and adult day care center.”

Live music will be provided from 2 to 6 p.m. by Blast from the Past and from 6 to 10 p.m. by Brickhouse’s Big Bad Wolf. Huck’s Karaoke will begin at 10 p.m.

“This is something the entire community can come out and enjoy,” Thomson said. “It’s a great opportunity to raise money for both places — The Porterville Historical Museum and PADS — and still have fun doing it.”

For more information, call 793-1900, 359-3699 or 310-2811.

-- Contact Esther Avila at 784-5000, Ext. 1047, or eavila@portervillerecorder.com.