Coronavirus or no, a quarter-milliion bikers are expected to rumble into Sturgis SD this week, for the town’s 80th Motorcycle Rally.
It’s expected to be the “biggest gathering anywhere so far during the pandemic,” reports the Associated Press.
The 9-day event officially begins on Friday, but the town of 7,000 in western South Dakota is already seeing plenty of early arrivals on the street and action in the bars.
The event is a huge boost to the local economy — with attendees spending more than $700 million in recent years. That figure is likely to be down this year, but still substantial.
South Dakota has skipped most of the virus precautions prevalent elsewhere in the country, and there’s already been a recent increase in virus infections — which has many town and state residents, as well as people in neighboring states, worried.
Event organizers say they’re encouraging everyone to wear masks and maintain social distancing, but most observers see that as a bad joke.
“Though only about half the usual number of people are expected at this year’s event, residents were split as the city weighed its options. Many worried that the rally would cause an unmanageable outbreak of COVID-19, the AP says.
The news service quotes one resident as saying in June that it’s “a huge, foolish mistake to make to host the rally this year. The government of Sturgis needs to care most for its citizens.”
“Despite the pandemic, the [rally] is a go and although it hasn’t officially started, the streets are filled with bikers, vendors, and spectators,” reports KOTA TV in Rapid City SD.
There was much debate in Sturgis about whether it made sense to host the rally this year, but in the end, the AP says “officials realized the rally would happen whether they wanted it or not.”
