Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Every year in early August the Black Hills erupt with the roar of choppers as hundreds of thousands of bikers swarm to Sturgis, S.D., for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. For 10 days cars are banished from the town as motorcycles line up along the streets, chrome glistening in the sun and exhaust lingering in the air.
Befitting its setting among enduring American monuments like Mt. Rushmore, Sturgis is the grandest of the motorcycle rallies. The festival attracts motorcycle riders of all types, from millionaires and celebrities to Hell's Angels to ordinary bike enthusiasts.
Event organizers estimate between half a million and three quarters of a million people party in Sturgis annually. Riders say Sturgis is special, not just because it's the most famous rally of its kind, but also because of the grandeur of the rally's Black Hills location. Rally-goers can take a scenic mountain ride to some of the most beautiful and visited monuments in the United States, including Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Devil's Tower and Badlands National Park.
The rally began more than 60 years ago when a local motorcycle club, the Jackpine Gypsies, organized a motorcycle race and a tour to the nearly finished Mt. Rushmore. Each year more events were added and the Black Hills Motor Classic eventually morphed into what is now considered the national motorcycle event of the year.
After a long day of riding or visiting the vendors, bike demos, races and events around town, folks can grab a beer, hang out and listen to music at popular nightspots such as Broken Spoke Saloon and Full Throttle Saloon. Bikers can pitch a tent and store their stuff at the Buffalo Chip Campground, but folks shouldn't expect to sleep much - there's a full schedule of live music and events, like pickle licking and boxing, at the campground all week long.
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