Thousands expected to visit Union County this weekend for this year’s Kentucky Bike Rally

UNION COUNTY, Ky. (WEHT) — Another year of the Kentucky Bike Rally kicked off Wednesday outside Sturgis, and thousands are expected to step foot on the Union County Fairgrounds for the rally.

The festivities began Wednesday afternoon. Eyewitness News talked with bikers across the country, including Texas, North Carolina and Colorado. They are looking forward to a weekend of seeing good friends and listening to live music.

The organizers also agree the weekend-long event is a family tradition.

For some visiting the fairgrounds, it makers another opportunity for bikers to see old friends, to participate in poker runs and to enjoy the live music.

Richard Petty from New Castle, Indiana is back at the rally for at least the eighth year.

“It’s just a like a melting pot of people. Everybody gets along. Everybody’s happy. It’s just a fun place to come and hang out and relax — enjoy for a week,” Petty says. “We’ve had people come back and stay at our house and things like that from Sturgis when they was traveling though going different places. We’ve stayed in touch with a lot of people.

2024 marks Lisa Mount’s third rally in Sturgis. She is from Middle Point, Ohio. This year also marks another tradition for her.

“We haven’t met a disrespectful person here. There’s a lot of fun, and people get wild and crazy,” Mount says. “I get a tattoo every year. This one was last year. This one was the year before. I’m getting one on my back. I’ve already talked to the lady about it. This year it’s going to be — I have butterflies on my back — and I’m adding to it.”

Connie Grossman who is running the merchandise booth believes the rally is not only an opportunity for those to see friends, but is an economic boon for the city.

“The people here in Sturgis really benefit,” Grossman says. “Probably if you were to go to the store — as you can see — they’re a lot busier downtown Sturgis today. It’s great for all the restaurants — and just the gas stations, the grocery store, the hotels around. Everybody should be benefitting.”

Grossman’s daughter — Lauren Brett — who lives in Colorado is in town with plenty other family members to help make the rally successful.

“We just love that it’s in this little community where you can see how many people come from state and state — far and wide,” Brett says. “Even the people that live in this community, they look forward to it.”

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