We love things that move,” says Bikes, Blues & BBQ Executive Director Joe Giles, “and if they move loudly, we really love it.”
It could be the motto for the annual motorcycle rally itself, which begins Wednesday and continues into the early morning hours of Sept. 22.
But more specifically, Giles was talking about the newest addition to the universe of Bikes, Blues & BBQ attractions - an air show at the Fayetteville Executive Airport. For the event, the Texas-based nonprofit group Commemorative Air Force will bring in several decadesold aircraft, including the only currently flying example of a B-29 Superfortress. Called Bikes, Blues and Bombers, the airshow adds anotherelement to the already massive motorcycle rally, which will draw riders from all across the country. BB&BBQ officials estimate 400,000 bikers come to the area each year, and event director Coleson Burns expects another year of equal or better attendance in 2013.
The rally began more than a decade ago as a simple poker run; it now claims to be the oneof the largest motorcycle rallies in the nation. Year after year, new events are added to the Bikes, Blues & BBQ footprint, which already takes over many venues in Fayetteville, among them Dickson Street, the Baum Stadium/Tyson Track Center complex and the Washington County Fairgrounds. Last year’s addition, the first official Bikes, Blues & BBQ Car Show - although other nonofficial car shows have taken place in the past - will return in 2013. About 250 cars are expected for the show, which will include an informal cruise through Fayetteville on Sept. 20 and the multicategory show on Sept. 21 in the Northwest Arkansas Mall parking lot.
Of course, all these events come as supplements to the main attraction - motorcycles.
Vendors from across the country will promote motorcycles and accessories, and Harley-Davidson, Indian, Victory and Yamaha will all offer demo rides during the course of the rally.
Highlights for motorcycle riders include the Parade of Power, which takes place at 4 p.m. Sept. 21; the Battle of the Bikes, which takes place on the morning of Sept. 21 in the main stage area near the intersection of Dickson Street and West Avenue; and the inaugural Bike Games, scheduled for the Washington County Fairgrounds, where riders will compete in events such as a slow ride contest, a keg push and more.
All of these events run alongside two of the key features of BB&BBQ - blues and barbecue. Music takes place primarily in two places: The Dickson Street main stage and the fairgrounds. Many other Dickson Street venues will feature live music as well.
As for the barbecue element, the main event will take placeSept. 21 at the fairgrounds. The Arkansas State Championship BBQ Contest will crown a winner, but contestants rarely provide samples during the competition. Instead, the People’s Choice barbecue feed on Sept. 20 - limited to 3,000 eaters - will provide the best opportunity to sample barbecued meats.
The 2013 edition of the rally, in the second-to-last weekend in September, takes place a week earlier than it usually does. A home football game for the University of Arkansas football team pushed the event up a week, as doubling those events would serve as a logistical nightmare, Giles says.
The rally will return to the last weekend in September next year. It will be the 15th year, which will likely make the rally swell in size again.
“I think next year is the year we’ll potentially get overwhelmed,” Burns says.
Whats Up, Pages 18 on 09/13/2013