'Bigger than ever': South Dakota motorcycle rally expected to draw hundreds of thousands despite pandemic
From WWW.WASHINGTONEXAMINER.COM
Many big events have been canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, but South Dakota's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is still on.
The annual gathering in Sturgis, South Dakota, will last from Aug. 7-16 and is expected to bring in more than 250,000 people, raising concerns among public officials worried about an unmanageable uptick in COVID-19 cases.
Sturgis City Council voted to proceed with the event because of pressure from businesses despite more than 60% of residents saying in a survey they believe the rally should be postponed.
“This is a huge, foolish mistake to make to host the rally this year,” Sturgis resident Linda Chaplin told the City Council at a June meeting. “The government of Sturgis needs to care most for its citizens.”
Though organizers expect the event to bring in only half of its usual number of attendees due to travel restrictions from Canada and other places, some people think this year's rally could be the biggest one yet, given people's frustration over economic lockdowns meant to stop the spread of the virus.
“It’s the biggest single event that’s going on in the United States that didn’t get canceled,” said Rod Woodruff, who operates the campground and concert venu... (Read more)
Submitted 1356 days ago
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