Sturgis “The Rally” impact more than just businesses

STURGIS, Miss. (WCBI)- If you have been out on the roads today, you might have noticed an increase in motorcycles.

They all seem to be heading to one place. Sturgis.

It’s officially Rally Time in Sturgis. The three-day event will be filled with entertainment, food, and of course bikes. But what does it take to make an event like this happen?

The population of Sturgis will swell this weekend as bikers from across the State and around the country ride into town for “The Rally.”

Mayor Billy Blankenship says they started planning this year’s event back in January.

“the way it comes together is the rally board leases the park our park Jackson Memorial Park, and that’s where the rally is actually conducted. That’s where the entertainment is, the bike shows and so forth and actually the Town of Sturgis we’re here for support of the rally always have been. We provide the sanitation all the garbage pick up just all the services that we need to support people we have in town,” said Blankenship.

The residents of Sturgis are the ones directly affected by the Rally.

“it helps the people in the town because when the vendors come in, they’re actually leasing space from our landowners here in Sturgis, so it’s more of a situation that it helps the landowners here. It puts some money in their pockets as far as leasing their land and of course the sales tax dollars that we get from our vendors,” said Blankenship.

But the benefits don’t stop at the Sturgis City Limits.

“Starkville of course and our surrounding towns motels hotels it helps them out a lot in that perspective. Of course the restaurants in Starkville. Starkville’s very supportive of us, they have been each year. I’m proud for that they help us out OCEDA Oktibbeha County Economic Development Board they help us out in a major way as well,” said Blankenship.

Ron St. John has been attending the rally since it began. He says that he has seen it grow into what it is today.

“Very small 1997 the whole rally was held behind this bank over here we had a few vendors selling food we didn’t have any vendors selling leather or anything like that played a few bike games I’d say there was 50 – 75 bikes there,” said St. John

Mayor Blankenship said they estimate ten thousand bikers will attend this year’s event.