Love Ride Back in 2011

Due tot the recession, last year’s Love Ride has been canceled for the first time in 26 years. But that’s all in the past now, as Oliver Shkouk, the founder of the legendary charity motorcycle event, has announced that he plans to restart Love Ride in the fall of 2011.

Unfortunately, this means that there will be no Ride this year. The event will be replaced by a Love Ride 26 1/2 Biker's Carnival held at Glendale Harley-Davidson on Sunday, October 24, 2010.

"The economy remains in flux, and although there are some positive signs, we want to make sure both the Love Ride and the Love Ride Foundation are on solid ground before we continue our mission, which is to raise money for children's charities and those less fortunate in our community," says Shkouk.

"We're excited, and at the same time, humbled by the response from the community at large to bring the Love Ride back as soon as possible. As a stopgap this year, our Love Ride 26 1/2 Bikers Carnival will be held at Glendale Harley on the day usually reserved for the Love Ride. With this Biker's Carnival, we're going "retro."

Love Ride was canceled in 2009 due to slow ticket sales, vendor bookings and sponsorships. The event was killed by Shkouk after 25 years of consistent growth. During its years of existence, the charity event has featured performances from some of the biggest names in music, most recently the Foo Fighters, and gathered over $22 million.