Daytona to go big for 75th Bike Week
This year marks the 75th Bike Week and to celebrate, festival organizers have lined up big-name musicians and a host of events to entertain the expected 500,000 motorcycle enthusiasts for 10 days.
Daytona Beach is the epicenter of the event, with bikers rolling into town starting March 4 and keeping the party going until March 13. Bike Week is known for its shows, contests and rallies, but this year the highlight will be a performance by the Charlie Daniels Band and the Marshall Tucker Band on the penultimate day of the celebration.
The Southern rockers will perform March 12 at Jesters Live, the concert venue at the Destination Daytona complex up U.S. 1 in Ormond Beach. The venue will also host BuckCherry on March 4, Black Label Society on March 5 and Creedence Clearwater Revisited on March 10.
While the Jesters Live lineup is enticing, the original ground zero for Bike Week partying is along Daytona Beach’s Main Street at bars like Boot Hill Saloon, Dirty Harry’s Bar and Main Street Station. Stroll along that strip to see vendors, performers and some of the best looking rides in town. It’s one of the best places for people watching, whether on foot or on two wheels.
Back on the mainland of Daytona Beach, the newly revamped Daytona International Speedway will be a place for bikers to find the newest parts and accessories, displays and the opportunity to take test rides each day. The Speedway will of course host racing events throughout Bike Week as well. High-flying dirt bike racing takes center stage with the Daytona Supercross on March 5 while fans of the faster variety of motorcycle can check out the Daytona 200 on March 12.
Venture farther afield and you’ll still find the rest of Central Florida bustling with bikers. Down I-4, Orlando Harley-Davidson Historic Factory plans its own week of fun with a pirate-themed party March 5-12. Since bikers like to ride, there’s plenty of destination-oriented events. Head farther south to New Smyrna Beach, west to Samsula and DeLand, over the St. Johns River to Sanford and even across S.R. 40 to Lake County.
While some call this the 75th anniversary, it’s actually the 75th Bike Week as there were several years during World War II in which the event was not held. The first Daytona 200 race was held in 1937.
To celebrate this 75th gathering, organizers are giving attendees a chance to win a custom 2006 Harley-Davidson Softail Springer Classic that resembles a ride from that inaugural race. For the complete list of concerts and events, visit officialbikeweek.com.