September

Bevy of bikes

By The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Posted: October 6, 2009 at 11:57 a.m.

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Bikes Blues & BBQ, the annual September event that brings tens of thousands of motorcycles rumbling through Northwest Arkansas, has outgrown its Dickson Street roots.

Still based in Fayetteville, the festival reached its 10th anniversary in 2009, and organizers have realized it is much more than just a downtown Fayetteville event.

After expanding to include the Randal Tyson Track Center on the University of Arkansas campus, the event grew to include concerts at the Arkansas Music Pavilion at the Northwest Arkansas Mall and a dirt-bike event near Siloam Springs. Toss those in with a host of unofficially sanctioned - but unofficially welcomed - mini-events and campsites throughout the region, and Bikes Blues & BBQ is one of the premier biker events in the country.

"It really is becoming more like Sturgis," event spokesman Bob Corscadden said, referring to the country's largest bike rally in South Dakota. "We're spreading out and using more of Northwest Arkansas for the whole week."

In addition to the new dirt bike events added this year, a motocross rally is expected in 2010, assistant director Coleson Burns said.

"We welcome all kinds of bikers, from the families to the dirt bikes," he said.

With hundreds of thousands of people expected to watch the bikes, shop the vendors, listen to music and eat, people have different ways to enjoy the event that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for area charities since its beginning in 2000.

Families, including those with toddlers and strollers, might want to check out the first couple of days on Dickson, when the crowds aren't as thick, Corscadden said. On Friday and through the weekend, the sidewalks will be packed with bikers of all ages and ilk.

The Parade of Power bike tour is one of the most popular events. A cacophony of custom and colorful bikes will stretch from the Tyson Center through the university campus, and along Dickson, School and 15th streets.

Other popular events are the Saturday evening finale, which includes a concert, announcement of the best-bike contest winners and the Miss Bikes Blues & BBQ Babe contest.

"Without a doubt, Saturday night, in front of the main stage, is where I want to be to experience the best of Bikes Blues & BBQ," Burns said. "It has everything there."

Insider Tips

1. It's fall, but it can still be hot. Bring a hat and sunscreen.
2. Insiders say the best vantage point from which to watch the Parade of Power bike ride is from up high, such as the balcony at Hawg Haus or Bordinos on Dickson Street, or some other crow's nest vantage point.
3. OK, you can't get one of those top seats with servers bringing you cool drinks and food all day. Where else can you see the bikes? Try along Razorback Road. There are trees along some stretches, or you can get in the shade of Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
4. For riders, there certainly is more to do than just watch bikes. The event includes gorgeous rides through the Ozarks. The day trips include tours up to Eureka Springs, along the Pig Trail Scenic Byway (Arkansas 23) and south to the Arkansas River Valley. The festival's Web site at bikesbluesandbbq.org has good suggestions for bike tours and maps. There are also fundraising poker runs through the region.
5. If while checking out all the hot rides you get the bug to buy a new bike, test ride some of the newest models at the bike demo put on by the industry's biggest makers. To slide onto one of these bad boys, you'll need: a motorcycle operator's license, helmet, gloves, glasses and over-the-ankle shoes or boots. No shorts allowed. Pros recommend you get there early, know what bike you want to try and remember this isn't the time to show off. No hot-rodding, wheelies or burnouts.
6. Definitely park your car. Park once, walk around Dickson Street or the Tyson Center, then take the Arkansas/Missouri Railroad Blues train that rolls between the two primary sites. You really don't want to walk it, and the traffic is too thick to wade through. Wristbands to ride the train cost $10 and are good for the week. Really, it's worth it.
7. If you need a hotel room, get one far in advance. As in right now for the 2010 event. Hotels fill up fast, and if you wait until a few weeks before, you'll be booking rooms in another county. Or state.
8. Missed a good hotel? Try a campground. More than a dozen area campgrounds open up for bikers for the week and range from good family fun to more adult-oriented. Check out the list on the Web site. Or maybe find a nearby house to rent.

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