SNOW HILL – As motorcycles descend on the resort area next week, the town of Snow Hill will again encourage them to “Ride to Sturgis.”
For the second year, Snow Hill will host Ride to Sturgis, an afternoon of food and festivities for bikers in Sturgis Park. The event is set for Saturday, Sept. 16, from noon to 4 p.m.
“We’re trying to make this a bigger event every year,” said Michael Day, the town’s economic development consultant.
Day said the idea for Ride to Sturgis came about a couple of years ago when a local merchant pointed out that the town’s park had the same name as the South Dakota town known for its famous motorcycle rally. Aware that thousands of motorcycles visited Worcester County each September during OC BikeFest and Delmarva Bike Week, Day decided Ride to Sturgis was the perfect way to draw some of those visitors to Snow Hill.
And so last year over the course of an afternoon close to 1,000 motorcycles traveled south from Ocean City to visit Sturgis Park for the first Ride to Sturgis. Day says this year’s event will be bigger and better.
The event, which has been promoted heavily by sponsor Fast Lane Biker Delmarva, will include food and beverage vendors as well as music by Nick Haglich as well as Scrapple. It will also feature a swap meet, which Day calls an affordable option for bikers looking to do some shopping.
“We’ve really been promoting that,” Day said.
He added that the Snow Hill event was also affordable for vendors, as the town had offered a number of free spots to those who signed up early and would continue to register vendors for just $25.
Those who attend Ride to Sturgis this year will also be treated to free Pocomoke River cruises. The 15-minute rides around Goat Island, which cost $10 last year, are now being offered at no charge as an attraction for visitors.
Another new addition to this year’s Ride to Sturgis is an organized motorcycle trip from Ocean City to Snow Hill that will be led by Fast Lane Biker Delmarva.
“The magazine has really been putting that out there,” Day said, adding that bikers often said they enjoyed riding through the south end of Worcester County.
Ride to Sturgis is set for Sept. 16 from noon to 4 p.m. Vendors interested in attending the event can call 443-735-0957.
