Sturgis, South Dakota — Motorcyclists from around the globe are converging on the Black Hills of South Dakota as the 2021 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally officially began Friday.
According to the Sturgis Chamber of Commerce, nearly a half-million bikers will converge on Sturgis and the surrounding Black Hills.
The rally began in 1938, called the Black Hills Classic and consisted of a single race involving nine participants and a small audience.
From that humble beginning, the rally has grown to a ten-day affair drawing hundreds of thousand of motorcycle enthusiasts from around the world. The rally generally draws around 500,000 people, with the biggest year’s attendance coming in 2015 when 700,000 people were on hand.
The event takes place over a ten-day period and normally generates around $800-million in annual revenue.
Last year’s rally almost didn’t happen when the City of Sturgis announced it wouldn’t sponsor the event due to the COVID pandemic. However, merchants banded together to sponsor the event, which was attended by several hundred thousand participants despite the threat posed by the pandemic.
This year’s Sturgis Rally and Races officially opened Friday and is scheduled to run through Sunday, August 15th.
Photo: Night View of Sturgis SD Main Street during 2018 rally.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
