Myrtle Beach Mulls Motorcycle Rallies
About 100 people gathered in Myrtle Beach, S.C., this week to listen to community and business leaders discuss possible solutions to problems arising from the area’s two major motorcycle rallies – the Carolina Harley-Davidson Dealers Association Myrtle Beach Rally, held in mid-May, and the Atlantic Beach Bikefest, held on memorial Day weekend.
About 500,000 bikers flock to Myrtle Beach each May for the two rallies. As both events have grown in recent years, so have community complaints. A recent survey by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce found that 70% of its 2,300 members wanted the events altered.
Some business owners at the meeting complained the rallies hurt their profits and should be moved or done away while other businesses said they generate as much as a third of their income during the rallies.
It was the first time in years that various interests gathered to discuss the rallies. Now the Chamber of Commerce, which organized the forum, plans a task force to keep the talks going.
