South Dakota’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Is Back

South Dakota’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Is Back
Motorcycles fill the streets of Sturgis, S.D., on Aug. 6, 2021. Stephen Groves/AP Photo
Updated:

The Black Hills of South Dakota are roaring with motorcycles and crowds at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Some 700,000 people were expected to celebrate their enthusiasm for motorcycles at the 10-day event that kicked off Friday in the western South Dakota city.

Motorcycles cruised through downtown Sturgis, S.D., on Aug. 5, 2021. (Stephen Groves/AP Photo)
Motorcycles cruised through downtown Sturgis, S.D., on Aug. 5, 2021. Stephen Groves/AP Photo

The 81st annual biker rally, which runs from Aug. 6 through Aug. 15, puts this isolated town on the map for one weekend every year with concerts, rides, and competitions that include a Beard and Mustache Contest, poker tournament, and tattoo contest.

Sturgis skipped the formal rally last year because of the coronavirus pandemic, but thousands of bikers flocked to the city anyway.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report