Sturgis, S.D.
Born to be wild: Tens of thousands of bikers began roaring into this tiny prairie town this week for the annual 10-day Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, in what promises to be the largest single mass gathering since the pandemic began. Crowds for the 250,000-person event began forming early, flouting social-distancing recommendations. At the Buffalo Chip Campground, hundreds of fans clad in leather jackets but no masks took in a Smash Mouth concert. “We’re being human once again,” said the lead singer, Steve Harwell, as the crowd cheered. “I don’t know one person in a six-state radius who has had Covid,” said Michael Brown of Lemoyne, Neb. “I think it is all just political.” Meanwhile, Laura Armstrong, president of the City Council in Rapid City, 30 miles away, gave voice to residents’ considerable misgivings, calling the rally “insanity.”