Sturgis Rally Revving up for 81st Anniversary in August

Anyone who may have questioned whether the 81st anniversary of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally was still on can stop now. Sturgis Rally venue and organizers Sturgis Buffalo Chip ripped off the starting line with Kid Rock and a $30,000 prize vacation giveaway for the first major announcements set for the Aug. 6-15, 2021 rally. Other rally entertainment and activities being planned include military tributes, Wall of Death stunt shows, charity rides and much more. Sturgis Rally Registration is open and taking registrations now at Sturgis.com.

Fresh off the heels of the controversial 2020 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, venues and local businesses in the Black Hills area are eager to welcome bikers back for the 81st. And bikers are eager to come celebrate the freedoms that are the birthright of all Americans afforded to us by the United States Constitution.

“The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is an expression of freedom for all who attend. It has been around for 80 years and will always be around,” said Randy Peterson of Sturgis.com.

Businesses are confident the 2021 rally can be held safely and are ready to host the event in August. Many rally campgrounds have hundreds of acres available for people to spread out. In a press release from the Sturgis Buffalo Chip, Rod Woodruff, President and CEO of the Buffalo Chip, stated:

“We know from last year that outdoor events can be safely held when proper precautions are taken. The majority of people act respectfully and practice social distancing when they are expected to act responsibly. Plus, we feel good about the highly effective vaccines coming soon to market.”

Summer events being planned again has boosted confidence that life will be closer to normal next summer. Bands are announcing summer and fall tours, music festivals have announced 2021 dates and the Tokyo Olympics is set to take place in late July 2021.

Rally venues, campgrounds, businesses and local governments all over the Black Hills region took holding a rally in the midst of a pandemic seriously in August 2020. Rally-goers had made up their minds they were coming no matter what. They had the right and the freedom to do so and were welcomed with open arms by local businesses and venues. It also came to surface that without federal or state intervention, the Sturgis Rally could not, and cannot, be cancelled because there is no single owner of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The rally belongs to the people who attend it and everyone who contributes to putting it on. Read more about the landmark 2019 court case here.

The 81st Sturgis Rally is full speed ahead for Aug. 6-15, 2021. Sturgis.com will have all the latest announcements and comprehensive Sturgis Rally schedule at Sturgis.com/events/all-events.

An embeddable rally schedule is available for those interested in sharing it on their website with their audience. Add the code to a webpage and a full rally events schedule will be viewable on the site.

Link: Sturgis

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame recently named Marilyn Stemp and Steve Piehl to its board of directors.

Stemp is a pioneering figure in the motorcycle industry, founding IronWorks Magazine with her late husband, Dennis, and becoming the first female editor of a nationally circulated, mainstream motorcycle magazine. She also revived their trade magazine, Iron Trader News; edits the monthly Kiwi Indian News; contributes to several powersports media outlets; and is the founding editor of Sturgis Rider Daily. Stemp is a noted editor and writer of several motorcycle-focused books. Her consistent support for charitable efforts in the industry include the annual Biker Belles Celebration, Las Vegas BikeFest and as campaign chair for the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum’s development plan in 2014. She co-founded the Flying Piston charity events taking place in Daytona and Sturgis each year and is a National Ambassador for All Kids Bike. Stemp was inducted into both the Las Vegas Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the Sturgis Museum's Hall of Fame in 2018, and in 2022 she was recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Powersports by DealerNews.