Daytona Beach Prepares For Bikers

Florida businesses are gearing up for Biketoberfest, the end of the year motorcycle party scheduled for Oct. 21 to 24. Some events are even being scheduled between Oct. 15 and 20, a few days before the festival’s official Oct. 21 start, to help businesses hurt by the drop-off in visitors due to the recent hurricanes.
The event is a moneymaker for businesses in the area. A 2001 study by a University of Central Florida professor indicated that Bike Week in the spring and Biketoberfest had a $744 million economic impact on Daytona Beach, by far the largest of the city’s special events. That’s significantly more than the $561 million generated by the Daytona 500 and the Pepsi 400 at the Daytona International Speedway and the $196 million from spring break. For more information on Biketoberfest, visit www.biketoberfest.org.