Organizers hope to make Owensboro a major destination for motorcycle enthusiasts with the annual River City Bike Show. Notable new events for 2024 are the Harley-Davidson Stunt His Show and Pub/Restaurant Hopping. Additionally, his contests at the Pier Sound will also be part of his national points circuit.
The show, which is open to the public, is scheduled to take place from May 31 to June 2, 2024 at the Owensboro Convention Center. His first two-day event in 2023 drew about 3,000 people. Organizers hope the extra day and new event will double or triple the number of spectators.
“We are excited to bring the River City Bike Expo to Owensboro,” said event founder Mark Rose, owner of Newburgh bike shop Pinup Baggers. “This event is more than just a motorcycle showcase. It’s a celebration of the spirit, passion and sense of community that motorcycles bring to our lives.”
Rose is perhaps most looking forward to the addition of the Busted Knuckles Stunt Tour, a well-known company that travels to major venues such as Sturgis, Daytona and Panama. Riders perform stunts such as wheelies, acrobatics, burnouts, jumps, pyro and other tricks. Every show is unique.
There will be one performance on Friday night, followed by more performances on Saturday and Sunday.
Rose is also excited about the addition of a pub/restaurant crawl service. This involves “incentives” that go beyond food and drink.
There are approximately 12 locations on the crawl, and participants can have their cards punched at each stop. Different local manufacturers will be located in different locations. On Sunday, these manufacturers will have door prizes for Crawl participants to win.
Rose said the City of Owensboro Trolley will make multiple stops downtown, taking participants to restaurants and pubs and “enjoying entertainment all night long.” Rides are included in your weekend admission package.
Jimmy Allin, who runs the nationally recognized media service Bluegrass Biker News, is helping Rose organize the event.
Allyn noted that the 2024 audio contest will also be a point stop on the national tour.
“We have athletes who travel to big national events to earn season points, and this will be a stopover on that route. So there’s a lot of national appeal to the motorcycle community,” he says. I did. “There’s a lot of excitement in town.”
“We want people to come here and spend their weekends riding their bikes. That’s what it is,” Rose said.
In addition to the event, the Bike Show Expo will once again feature hundreds of bikes, vendors and a live tattoo experience. A church service sponsored by the Christian Motorcycle Association will also be held at the convention center on Sunday morning.
The indoor bike show is presented by Urban Ride Magazine, a national publication and global print syndicate. The entire event is sponsored by Evansville Harley-Davidson and Tennessee-based parts company Thundermax.
Jake Callis, vice president of marketing for Thundermax, said Owensboro is a great destination for the motorcycle community.
“The downtown area is really cool with a lot of nice little restaurants,” he said. “We all ride big bikes, so I think it’s really important to have a more homey feel. I think this area is underappreciated in the cycling world. For us, it’s not all about parties and wild music and all that. A lot of them want to go out and find a cool little restaurant or a cool little brewery where they can hang out with friends. I just think, and this is perfect for that.”
Mr Rose said there would be something for all ages to enjoy, locals and tourists alike.
“It’s going to be a weekend of entertainment for all types of people,” he said. “Whether you’re an experienced rider or just a curious rider, there’s something for everyone.”