Sturgis 2012

August 14, 2012
by Dennis Kirk

Sturgis 2012 was a very good rally. In fact, it was one of the best experienced in recent years. However, it still was not up to the standards of mega rallies that took place 7 or 8 years ago. General consensus was that attendance this year was up 15% to 20% over last year. Vendor registrations were up over 10% as well.

The weather was great. Hardly a rain drop the entire rally. Temps were what you expect during the Black Hills Rally. Warm to hot. Generally ranging in the high 80’s to the mid 90’s. So people were out and about all over the Black Hills the entire time.

For those that have attended in the past, this year’s rally was very much like those that have taken place in recent years. The major vendors were set up primarily in one of two locations. Either on Lazelle Street in Sturgis or at Black Hills Harley in Rapid City. Most of the music was in Sturgis with the bigger acts at the Buffalo Chip and Full Throttle Saloon. Deadwood rocked with a vibrant night scene of its own. Offering up good food, entertainment and many casinos very willing to let you take your chances.

The Broken Spoke Saloon was sold and reopened under the name Sickies Garage. Yes that means the downtown Broken Spoke is no more. It is kind of sad since that was a long standing historical icon of the downtown scene. One Eyed Jacks was as raucous as ever and the Main Street parade continued to be the best people watching place around.

The riding, as always, was spectacular! Whether headed to Mount Rushmore, down to Custer State Park or out to Devil’s Tower in Wyoming; the grandeur of Western South Dakota and Eastern Wyoming was on display. It is truly an amazing place to share with hundreds of thousands of other bikers making the most of their time in the area.

If you were there, you know what I am talking about. If you weren’t there, make plans to attend in 2013. You won’t be sorry if you do!

Check out pictures of our trip to Sturgis on our Facebook page! Have you ever been to Sturgis?