The Story of the City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally…
“When Clarence “Pappy” Hoel purchased an Indian Motorcycle franchise in the depths of the Great Depression, he had no idea that he was about to begin the most famous motorcycle gathering in the world. It all began in 1938, when Pappy, his wife, Pearl, and his newly founded Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club decided to host a race in Sturgis. Nine participants and a mere 200 spectators attended.
Today the City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is one of, if not ‘the’ largest gatherings of motorcycle enthusiasts in the world. The Rally occurs every August in the Black Hills of South Dakota, home to Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse National Memorial and Devil’s Tower Monument to name a few of the area’s most recognized ‘icons’.“
The Sturgis Bike Rally was held August 7-August 16 this past year and, because of the Covid Pandemic delaying school, was the first year we were able to go.
I always imagined there being tons of bikes lining the streets, but the sheer volume of them still floored me.
So many different styles and colors! And some were the most unique style of bike I’ve ever seen.
Bikes were not the only things “unique” that we came across.
And, of course, the “nerdy” librarian in me saw this and almost swooned! 🙂
There were so many vendors lining the street and music everywhere! Something pretty cool that Sturgis has is the ability to view the rally through various webcams set up around the popular areas. These webcams are LIVE and gives you an opportunity to see the town, not just during the rally week, but every day of the year. Click the button to check it out.
Full Throttle Saloon
You just can’t go to Sturgis and NOT visit the World’s Largest Biker Bar, Full Throttle Saloon. The atmosphere was buzzing when we got there. The drinks were cold and with ZZ Top on the stage, the music was LOUD.
You could spend all day just walking around this place. There are several bars scattered throughout the area. Food vendors set up, a tattoo shop onsite, gorgeous bikes on display, and The Full Throttle Store selling TONS of items. We picked up poker chips, t-shirts, and, of course, a bottle of their famous Espresso Shot.
Plan to spend quite a bit of time when you visit or you can just make reservations to stay. They offer cabin rentals, RV sites, and Tent camping nearby. Visit their website for more details.
