Biketoberfest® is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. They’re calling it the chrome anniversary—more appropriate than the traditional silver anniversary. The rally is from October 19 to October 22 in Daytona Beach, Florida. And no, hurricane Irma couldn’t stop it.
The organizers expect to see 150,000 people for the big event and there’s a whole lot of stuff to see and do. On Saturday the 21st, the world’s largest Harley dealership, Bruce Rossmeyer’s Harley-Davidson in Ormond, just north of Daytona, will host a free concert by Jackl, the hard-rock band known for “When Will It Rain” and “The Lumberjack”—which features a chainsaw solo. Known as Destination Daytona, the venue is also hosting a pre-event concert October 14 beginning at 5 p.m. and featuring bands like The Pat Travers Band and The Russ Kellum Band. The venue is showing all the latest Harley models, antique bikes (noon to 4 p.m. October 20) and even an arm-wrestling tournament.
On October 15, at Main Street Station, you can hear live music from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. It’s a garage bar, and will have lots of vendors in addition to bands such as Microwave Dave and the Nukes and Orange Ave. Live bands will appear starting at noon at Riverfront Park on all three days of the festival. Mike Ballard from the famous Full Throttle Saloon will be at the main bar, and there will be more than forty vendors.
Be on the lookout for buffet specials. For example, the Daytona Beach Hilton is throwing an all-you-can-eat Texas barbecue buffet special on Thursday and a prime rib, snow crab, and seafood buffet special on Friday and Saturday.
That’s just a few of the events on the first of 55, yes, 55, pages of events you can find here.
Four rides are featured, and we’ve written about them before in the Eagle Leather Newsletter. You can get maps for the rides and up-to-date information at the three official Visitor’s Centers and then enjoy the cool weather and ocean breezes.
The motorcycle races at the Daytona International Speedway are a major draw. The track is home to NASCAR’s most prestigious race, the Daytona 500. But during Biketoberfest®, you’ll watch motorcycle races. The track layouts include the 2-1/2 mile high-speed oval, a sports car course and both a flat track and a curvy course for motorcycles. First opened in 1959, the speedway completed a four-hundred-million dollar renovation last year, which added entrances, restrooms, and concession stands and introduced wider, more comfortable seats for as many as 101,000 spectators.
Makers of motorcycles and motorcycle gear often choose to exhibit new offerings at Biketoberfest®, so watch for demonstrations and test drives. Biker-friendly bars abound in Daytona Beach and along the various rides mapped out and during the festival, many of them offer free live music and other enhancements. Again, check with the Visitor Centers and check the list of events on the website.
You don’t have to be in Daytona to win the drawing for a motorcycle. Enter here. There is a fee.
Biketoberfest® has a social presence on Facebook. If you go, we’d love to hear about your experience and see your photos on the Eagle Leather Facebook page.
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