Fun Facts About the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
The 83rd annual world-famous mecca for motorcycle enthusiasts had 458,161 vehicles pass through Sturgis South Dakota for a ten-day period in August of 2023. These numbers are the “official” tally from the SDOT. According to former rally director and now Broker Associate and owner of Selling South Dakota Real Estate Scott Meyer, there are unmeasurable numbers of riders who enjoy being there who never crossed the nine traffic counters entering Sturgis for the 2023 Rally. Meyer says the southern hills including Custer, Mt. Rushmore, and Keystone have large numbers of riders as well as the Wyoming Black Hills that covers Devils Tower and the Hulett area. Meyer offers these additional fun facts about the world’s most famous motorcycle event.
- Attendance over the years has ranged from 250,000 – 750,000.
- The city of Sturgis collects on average 700 tons of garbage per day depending on the year.
- Approximately 150 port-a-potties are strategically placed throughout the high traffic areas.
- Prime vendor space on the famous Sturgis Main Street can run up to $2000 per square foot.
- Free demo rides of the latest and greatest bikes are available from many brands to qualified riders.
What about a place to stay?
If you want to park your bike and walk downtown be prepared to slap some serious wallet leather. 2023 prices ran upwards of $7000 for rally week. As a former director of the rally Meyer says he rented out homes for about $4000 for a week during the 1999 event. If you are a motorcycle enthusiast or a real estate investor Meyer encourages you to email him at scott@sellsd.net to get the inside scoop on available properties that you can purchase. Meyer says that winter is the best time to check out opportunities in Sturgis real estate as sellers may be motivated to complete a transaction before they start fielding inquiries to rent out their properties for Sturgis 2024.
