West Coast Thunder will be postponed to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event is now scheduled for next year on Memorial Day, May 29, 2023.

“We are disappointed that we will be unable to host our event this year,” said Jackson Dodd, Executive Director of the West Coast Thunder Foundation. 

The West Coast Thunder event takes an extraordinary amount of preparation, permitting, nearly a year of planning alongside local, state, and federal agencies, vendors, and volunteers; with the public health restrictions on gathering and hosting mega-events, the foundation is unable to move forward with planning this year.

“Those who have been showing up for our event year-after-year understand that we aren’t just a motorcycle ride,” said Mitch Lavine, President of the West Coast Thunder Foundation Board of Directors. “We are a nonprofit organization, licensed to do business in the state of California and city of Riverside. We have to adhere to these restrictions and guidelines to maintain our ability to conduct business.”

Those that have tickets for this year’s event will be contacted in the coming weeks to offer a refund or transfer their registration to the next event.

“We continue to work towards honoring those servicemembers who have made the ultimate sacrifice,” Dodd added. “In August of 2021, we donated $25,000 to the Riverside National Cemetery Support Committee. We will continue that in stride and will be announcing a donation to further support the construction of the American Indian Veterans Memorial at Riverside National Cemetery soon.”

The Foundation is looking into creating several attendance-controlled, ticketed events for 2022.

“We are excited to explore bringing a more intimate event experience to the motorcycle community,” Dodd continued. “These events will further benefit our work towards funding the American Indian Veterans Memorial at Riverside National Cemetery.” 

The team will be reaching out to all registered riders in alphabetical order to discuss options for their registration.

“As we continue to navigate these uncharted waters of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are grateful to our community for their unwavering support,” Lavine added. “Though we aren’t able to formally gather, and it all looks different than what we’re used to, it means the world to us that we can continue to honor our soldiers.”

Donations to West Coast Thunder Foundation can be made on their website. 

For questions, contact West Coast Thunder here or call 951-226-5006. Please note: The staff at Riverside Harley-Davidson cannot issue refunds.

For more information on mega-events and gatherings surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, visit the California Department of Public Health here and the State of California here.

About West Coast Thunder Foundation: West Coast Thunder is a tax-exempt, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to honoring those who gave all. Proceeds from the West Coast Thunder events benefit the Riverside National Cemetery Support Committee via the West Coast Thunder Foundation.

Since 2000, West Coast Thunder has been the major contributor of funds to Riverside National Cemetery, the largest in the United States National Cemetery System. The foundation has begun funding the construction of the American Indian Veterans Memorial at Riverside National Cemetery, which broke ground in 2020. Past projects have included the construction of the National POW / MIA Memorial (dedicated in 2005), repairs to the Medal of Honor Memorial, financial support to the Riverside National Cemetery Memorial Honor Detail, and funding each July for the Concert for Heroes.