It’s already been a good season for many Black Hills tourism venues, and now, destinations like Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial and Deadwood are bracing for the invasion of bikers who will come for the 70th anniversary of the Sturgis motorcycle rally, which starts Aug. 9.
“The rally is typically our busiest time of year, so we gear up for lots of traffic and crowds,” said Nav Singh, spokesman and chief of interpretation for Mount Rushmore National Memorial. “There are so many people coming to South Dakota, and we are a huge draw for them.”
The Black Hills Badlands & Lakes Association is expecting an 18 percent increase in visitors over the 434,000 who attended last year’s weeklong celebration of the motorcycle lifestyle.
Bill Honerkamp, president of the tourism association, said this year’s live music lineup that includes rock legends like Bob Dylan, ZZ Top, Guns N’ Roses, and Ozzy Osbourne is one reason they are predicting more visitors this year.
“It’s the best we’ve ever seen during the rally,” he said of the entertainment.
If the rally is as successful as many anticipate, it will mean more good news for the area’s major tourist attractions.
Crazy Horse Memorial officials say their summer numbers have already been boosted by a large number international tourist groups.
“This June, compared to first six months of 2009, we are up 6 percent in admission numbers,” said Pat Dobbs, media specialist at Crazy Horse Memorial. “For the first half of July 2010, we’re already up 10 percent.”
Dobbs said the rally will only boost the numbers at the memorial, which is about 30 miles south of Rapid City.
“It’s a really busy time during the rally, and the motorcyclists have been very fond of Crazy Horse in past years,” he said. “I think bikers like to come to Crazy Horse because they are drawn to the independent spirit of Crazy Horse.”
The venue is raffling a custom chopper during the rally. The winner will be announced Sept. 6. “The bike was donated to us, and we have been selling raffle tickets all year,” Dobbs said. “We will be announcing the winner on Sept. 6 because that is not only the anniversary of the death of Crazy Horse, but it also the day the founding sculptor of the memorial was born.”
Business, meanwhile, is booming this summer in Deadwood, according to its visitor’s bureau.
“It’s been a good summer for us,” said George Milos, director of the Deadwood Chamber & Visitors Bureau. “Through May, our gaming revenues are up 20 percent, compared to 2009. Our taxable sales are also up by about 20 percent.”
Deadwood is preparing for an influx of bikers by allowing parking on Main Street, where casinos and restaurants will be waiting to serve them, he said.
“A great majority of the bikers come up because it’s a beautiful ride, and every day, we get new people coming in,” Milos said. “We are definitely optimistic about the rest of the year.”
Mount Rushmore, perhaps the single largest attraction in the area, reports that its numbers are up about 2 percent as of June, when compared to last year.
“Last year was the first year we had over 3 million visitors, so we really hope to keep up with that in 2010,” Singh said.
Rushmore officials could know soon if they’re on target for that: More visitors come to the national monument during the Sturgis rally than any other time of year.
Contact Ruth Brown at 394-8329 or ruth.brown@rapidcityjournal.com.
