EASTHAMPTON — The charity motorcycle rally planned in May for Fort Hill Brewery has been moved to Millside Park to avoid upsetting neighbors of the brewery.

The Licensing Board on Monday unanimously approved a special one-day permit for the May 1 event, which will include live music, a professional wrestling ring, food, booths set up by local charities and a motorcycle ride.

The Stone Cutters Chapter of Widows Sons, a local motorcycle group, asked the board at its meeting last month to issue a license for the event at Fort Hill Brewery. Though the board continued the hearing to Monday because of some procedural concerns, members of the Widows Sons meanwhile said they decided to change the venue out of respect for the residents of Fort Hill Road.

“We didn’t need any feathers ruffled,” member Joel O’Keefe said after the meeting. “I think it was a relief for Fort Hill (Brewery) and relieves the tension for the neighbors.”

Millside Park, with its amphitheater and water and electricity hookups is a good fit, he added.

The event was held at the Pulaski Club in Easthampton last year and attracted 175 people.

O’Keefe said that food will be available starting at 10 a.m. May 1. Sign-ins for the motorcycle ride will begin at 10 a.m. and the ride will start at 11 a.m. and return about an hour later. The one-day license will allow Fort Hill bartenders to begin serving beer at noon.

The event will raise money for over a dozen charities, including Victory4Veterans, Bikers against Child Abuse and Kane’s Krusade and will feature attractions geared toward bikers and non-bikers alike.

“You don’t have to be a motorcycle enthusiast to enjoy yourself,” said O’Keefe, who lives in Easthampton.

Other business

The board also unanimously approved special one-day licenses for the Williston Northampton School’s alumni weekend in May, Riverside Industries’ annual charity gala April 8 and the Abandoned Building Brewery’s second anniversary party on May 7.

Sam Dibble, co-owner and head brewer at New City Brewery, also spoke briefly with the board about his plans to possibly create a beer garden at the brewery, at the back of Mill 180.

An outdoor serving area was included in the brewery’s original business plans submitted to the city.

Dibble said he is filing required paperwork for that plan with the state. The outdoor area will also require approval by the Licensing Board at a future date.

The board plans to conduct a site visit in the coming weeks to see how the building’s exterior has changed since other recent renovations have been completed.

Stephen Linsky, chairman of the Easthampton Healthy Youth Coalition, said that he hopes to meet with the board in the future to begin considering increased local alcohol license enforcement.

Chris Lindahl can be reached at clindahl@gazettenet.com.