By the time many reader see this, the September sun will have risen on parts of Northwest Arkansas in which a low hum serves as a constant reminder that we have guests in our midst. Leather- and denim-wearing guests who bring with them the very attraction that draws tens of thousands of like-minded enthusiasts to our region once a year.
WHAT’S THE POINT?
Welcome, motorcycle lovers, to Northwest Arkansas. We’re glad you’re visiting.
Especially today and continuing Saturday, the hum will be just the start of it. The background noise — music to some people’s ears — will build into a roaring crescendo.
This is the annual Bikes, Blues & BBQ motorcycle rally from the outsiders’ perspective. But the outsiders in this case are really the region’s ultimate insiders, the folks who live here year round.
For these few days each fall, if you’re not on a motorcycle — or one of those oddball contraptions that are cousins to the two-wheeled vehicles — it can feel like you’re an outsider in your own community. Fayetteville, for example, is typically home to more Subaru all-wheel drives than motorcycles, but not this weekend. But that’s OK. Not everyone who lives here is all wrapped up in quilts and painted saw blades, but the region still welcomes thousands of shoppers for the annual arts and crafts fairs.
Now in its 18th year, Bikes, Blues & BBQ long ago became a destination event for motorcycle enthusiasts of all varieties. It’s not everyone’s can of beer, and it foists itself on neighbors a bit more than other festivals because of the inherent engine sounds. But having a motorcycle rally, even a generally family friendly one like Bikes, Blues & BBQ , without the engines is like have Razorback games without the “woooo, pig, sooie!”
But for those who can get past heightened sound levels, this rally is an outstanding example of generated tourism. A small group of local motorcycle lovers years ago got together and set their sights on developing a festival of sorts, the kind of event advertising and promotion commissions long for — bringing people with an ample supply of disposable income to town to fill hotels, eat at restaurants and otherwise contribute to the local economy. It’s exactly the kind of event that helps to keep Fayetteville funky, keep Rogers rockin’, keep Springdale spicy, keep Eureka Springs exciting and keep Northwest Arkansas interesting (or neat, if we want to keep the alliteration theme going).
Our visitors are for the most part an interesting and entertaining lot, fun to visit with and respectful of the communities they’re momentarily a part of. We appreciate that. Every year, we get a reminder through police data that arrests and citations during the massive event mostly involve locals and it usually involves folks who can’t hold their adult beverages well and behave irresponsibly. Most of our neighbors, though, are a welcoming lot. We welcome all the riders on their behalf and wish everyone a fun and safe stay.
Emphasis on “safe.” During each rally, expectations of motorcycle wrecks are usually fulfilled, but they aren’t inevitable. Everyone needs to slow down a bit and watch out for others on the road.
One aspect of Bikes, Blues & BBQ we particularly love is the involvement of charitable organizations. While the rally is about the visitors, organizers interviewed by this newspaper said this week the event could not exist if not for the eager groups of volunteers doing everything from serving food and beverages to cleaning up trash. In a way, Bikes, Blues & BBQ is an event that unites many parts of the community in common purpose — raising money for worthy causes. Last year, organizers committed $200,000 over 10 years to Arkansas Children’s Northwest, the hospital under construction in Springdale. Other nonprofits benefit as well. Such a rally easily could have been developed as a for-profit venture, so we commend the founders for their vision to provide some benefit to others in the process of pursuing a celebration of their passion for motorcycles.
Come Sunday, the rumbling motorcycles and the visitors who rode in on them will head back to their homes, hopefully filled with good times that help them become ambassadors for our region, sharing the word about its natural beauty and friendly people. And Northwest Arkansas will have been made richer for their visit, in ways that cannot all be counted.