Town full of motorcycle riders, enthusiasts

Motorcycle riders, enthusiasts and their bikes lined Big Cedar Creek on Saturday for the second day of the seventh annual Cave Spring Motorcycle Rally and Music Festival.

Whether it was sightseeing or the 70-mile poker run, Highway 411 and downtown Cave Spring saw over 1,000 bikers come and go during the rally which was based just outside of downtown at 100 Davis Road. The event is the biggest fundraiser for the Cave Spring Downtown Development Agency said Sandra Lindsey, director of the city’s DDA.

Lindsey patrolled the rally site on Davis Road, catching up with friends and talking with guests who were returning for the event. The DDA director stopped to chat with Michael Allman, son of the late Gregg Allman, who was the headliner for the festival.

“I usually play anywhere that sends me money,” he laughing. “I’ll play anything Allman and lots of Southern rock.”

This was the first time Allman has ever played at the Cave Spring festival and so far he has been enjoying hanging out by the creek with the bikers, he said.

His lineup for his Saturday night concert includes covers of Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band and of course songs by the Allman Brothers.

The headliner had jumped in and performed with the band Mr. MeanR the night before in a spur of the moment, and the crowd went nuts he said.

“I sing with my eyes closed,” Allman said. “One minute I’m standing out on the stage and the next thing I know I have a woman touching my feet,” he added laughing.

Other than the music the festival offered two contests — the Dudes in Boots and the Daisy Dukes and Boots contests. The men’s contest, a first time at the event, will be a tradition from now on Lindsey said. It took place on Friday night and had 11 participants. The ladies took the stage Saturday night at 7 p.m. however Lindsey said there probably wouldn’t be as many participants as the men.

About 50 bikes took off for the poker run Saturday morning, which wound its way around Weiss Lake and concluded back at the rally site.

There was also a motorcycle contest which featured close to 30 bikes including three from Panhead City, a local motorcycle shop which sells, fixes and builds bikes.

John Popham Chuck Summers (from left), owner of Panhead City, admires the bikes entered in the motorcycle show along with Roger Furlong and Chris Carden at the Cave Spring Motorcycle Rally and Music Festival on Saturday.

Above: Motorcycle riders and enthusiasts took over downtown Cave Spring as bikers from all over came to the small Floyd County town for the Cave Spring Motorcycle Rally and Music Festival on Saturday. Right: Matt Roberson (left) and Josh Roberts tend to the ribs they are smoking outside of their RVs.

Above: Whether it was Saturday’s poker run or just sightseeing, the town of Cave Spring saw an influx of bikers come and go this weekend for the Cave Spring Motorcycle Rally and Music Festival. Right: Jordan Eggleston (left), of American Biker Lawyer, gives Reislyn “Tadpole” Tate a free flashlight. Below: Saturday’s poker run sent around 50 bikers around Weiss Lake with five stops to make. The last stop was the Creekside Restaurant which saw a number of bikers throughout the day.

John Popham Scott Kasmar (left) buys a ring from Dana Hortman of Twisted Steel at the Cave Spring Motorcycle Rally and Music Festival on Saturday.

Above: Michael Allman (from left), son of the late Gregg Allman, poses with Kenneth and Mike Huckaby in front of Big Cedar Creek at the Cave Spring Motorcycle Rally and Music Festival on Saturday. Allman was the headliner for the festival and played songs from his dad’s group the Allman Brothers along with other Southern rock songs. Below: Mike “Stoney” Malooth stands over his Polaris Slingshot. He said the State of Georgia considers it a motorcycle, but he disagrees. But he said it’s “the most fun thing I’ve ever driven.”

Photos by John Popham