rally

Sturgis Rally 2017 Statistics

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Have you been to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally?  Wonder how it stacks up compared to other years?  Here are some key statistics so that you can compare year over year numbers starting with the 75th Anniversary.

 

Estimated attendance

2015 – 739,000

2016 – 448,000

2017 – official count TBD

 

DOT Traffic counts

2015 – 510,749

2016 – 329,789

2017 – 311,937

 

Marriage Licenses Issued in Sturgis

2015 – 122

2016 – 49

2017 – official count TBD

 

Traffic Violations

2015 – 212

2016 – 422

2017 – 147

 

Traffic Arrests

2015 – 155

2016 – 152

2017 – 147

 

Rally Related Fatalities

2015 – 15

2016 – 3

2017 – 8

 

Do you go to the Sturgis Rally every year? Have you noticed the different trends from year to year?

 

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Top 3 Selfie Spots in Sturgis

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If you are headed to Sturgis, SD for the annual motorcycle rally or for any of the other events hosted by this small community you will no doubt be taking many photographs while you are there. There are many options to share the experience of your trip, but frequent visitors know what the most iconic and recognizable photos are. We have narrowed it down to the top three “must do” Sturgis photo opportunities.

 

Welcome to Sturgis Sign

3. Official Sturgis Signs

On Lazelle Street (just east of I-90 exit 30), is a Welcome to Sturgis sign in the Sturgis Coffee Company parking lot. It is the perfect spot to snap a photo on your way toward any downtown festivities. The black and orange hues of the sign contrast the often clear azure skies of South Dakota. If you happen to come into Sturgis via Junction Ave (exit 32 off of I-90), there is another welcome sign, just like its partner across town. It is located on the north-east corner of Junction Ave and Anna Street, across from the Best Western Sturgis Inn.

 

Sturgis sign on Sly Hill north of downtown Sturgis, South Dakota

2. Sly Hill

Visible from anywhere in downtown Sturgis, north of Bear Butte Creek, the Sturgis Community Center, and Sturgis RV Park, the giant Sturgis sign on Sly Hill is redolent of a sign you might see in Hollywood. The concrete letters simply spelling out the word “Sturgis” leave no question you are in the City of Riders. Be sure to snap a few selfies with the easily seen letters in the background, and send it to your jealous friends who didn’t make the trip.

 

Bob Davis and his assistant Jake West taking the official 2015 Rally Main Street photo

1. Main Street

As you wander down Main Street in Sturgis, you will quickly find that there are a multitude of opportunities for photos during any of the organized rallies. During the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally colorful characters abound, biker babes and body paint are the normal, and giant food portions are standard. If you are looking for the ultimate selfie, you will want to pay the fee to stand on the towers located on either end of Main Street, giving a bird’s eye view of the hustle and bustle below.

 

You are certain to catch many more photos that reveal the unique playground, that is the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, or Camaro Rally, or Mustang Rally. But if you really want to make your friends jealous, be sure to catch these three.

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Jerry Cole, new Sturgis Rally and Events Director

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Jerry Cole began in his new position with the City of Sturgis as the Rally and Events Director on Monday, December 28, 2015. Jerry Cole, who has a long history in government work will be the man primarily responsible for organizing the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally on behalf of the City of Sturgis. Although the Rally has become more of a Black Hills area event, and has really outgrown its roots in Sturgis, it remains the center of the area activities and Sturgis Main Street remains the one must visit spot when in the area for the [in?]famous Rally Week.

Mr. Cole acted as Director of the Parks and Recreation Department of nearby Rapid City for 8 years from 2004-2012, and more recently served as Executive Director of the Hill City and then Dickinson Chambers of Commerce.

He has been known as someone who will buck authority and the status-quo to get things done, ostensibly the rationale for his dismissal as Parks and Recreation Director by the former Rapid City Mayor. If Mr. Cole lives up to this reputation as he takes the reigns of the Rally in Sturgis, it could serve to change the dynamic of what many consider a “Good ol’ Boys Club” of politics and money surrounding the Rally.

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