MIDDLEBURGH & DURHAM — If you knew Mikie Bennett, then you already know, he wasn’t just someone who stood out… he was the reason things stood out.
Back in his younger days, Mikie worked with horses at Silver Springs Ranch in Tannersville, NY.
Not long after, he found his way into the spotlight at the Wild West-themed park Carson City in Catskill, where he played the infamous “Texas Red.” And if you ever asked him about it, you didn’t get a long story—you got the line, delivered perfectly every time: “I was Texas Red… and I got shot dead.”
Mikie also started, owned, and ran the very successful "Bennett Professional Cleaning Service" in Middleburgh, which will continue on, now run by his son Dustin.
Mikie later became one of the emcees at the Am-Jam Motorcycle Rally in Cobleskill, held every Memorial Day weekend for many years. But many people came to know him as, The Voice of the Catskill Mountain Thunder Motorcycle Festival.
For over three decades at the Blackthorne Resort, 348 Sunside Rd in East Durham, Mikie wasn’t just behind the mic—he was the mic. If you heard that voice echoing through the Catskill Mountain Thunder Motorcycle Festival, you knew you were exactly where you were supposed to be.
Roy and Dale Handel of the Blackthorne Resort knew Mikie a bit growing up. Small-town connections—you see each other, say hello, and go on your way. None of them could have known back then just how much their lives would become intertwined.
In the late ’90s and early 2000s, the Catskill Mountain Thunder Motorcycle Festival was just getting off the ground. Mikie started as a vendor… but let’s be honest, he was never going to stay “just a vendor.” Even then, he had a way of making sure all eyes were on him, sometimes literally, especially when he was known to run around with women’s pink panties over his jeans. He would do whatever it took to get/keep a party going.
Somewhere between the laughter, the chaos, and the unforgettable moments, Mikie stepped into the role he was born for. He became the emcee, and before long, he became "The Voice". Not just of the event, but of the entire experience.
Mikie didn’t just stay local either. Alongside the Handel family, he helped promote the Catskill Mountain Thunder Motorcycle Festival across the Country, Daytona, Laconia, Rochester, the Motorcycle World’s Fair, and so many other adventures together. Wherever they went, Mikie brought the same energy, the same voice, and the same ability to make people feel like they were part of something special.
This year, the annual Motorcycle Mayhem event at the Blackthorne Resort (April 17th–19th) will be held in Mikie’s honor. Saturday’s ride will be dedicated to him, followed by a celebration of life.
And let’s be clear, this won’t be a quiet or somber gathering. That would not be Mikie, or something he would want. This will be a party. A place for stories, laughter, and maybe a little bit of mischief, exactly the way he would’ve wanted it.
Whether you knew Mikie personally or just heard that unforgettable voice booming across the mountains, you’re welcome to come celebrate the life of a man who made an impact you simply couldn’t ignore.
Mikie may be gone, but his voice will echo through the Catskill Mountains forever.
Rest in peace, my friend. You will never be forgotten.
I am Your Bro LJ James and I will see you around the Mountain.
