Downtown Sturgis — Main Street
The heart of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally: the downtown Main Street strip of saloons, vendors, and souvenir shops in Sturgis, SD. The rally began in 1938 with a group of Indian Motorcycle riders and now draws around 500,000 people over roughly ten days each August, when Main Street is closed to cars and given over to motorcycles.
The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally traces to 1938, when a group of Indian Motorcycle riders organized an event around stunts and races. It has grown into one of the largest motorcycle gatherings in the world, running about ten days each August and historically drawing on the order of 500,000 attendees, with a peak above 700,000 for its 75th anniversary in 2015.
Downtown Main Street is the official hub of the rally. During the event the street is closed to cars and open only to motorcycles, and it fills with saloons, live music, vendor booths, and souvenir shops. Walking the strip to see the custom and vintage bikes other riders have brought is a core part of the experience.
Because Sturgis sits at the northern edge of the Black Hills, Main Street also functions as a year-round launch point for the region's riding — Deadwood, Spearfish Canyon, and the southern Hills loops toward Mount Rushmore and the Needles are all within a short ride.
This is the single most famous stretch of pavement in American motorcycling during rally week — a Main Street closed to cars and packed bar-to-bar with bikes, vendors, and riders. Even off-season it is the natural staging point for Black Hills rides toward Deadwood, Spearfish Canyon, and the southern Hills.
Shot by the riders who've run it.
Riders upload photos to their profile and tag the road or stop — tagged shots show up here automatically.