That rumble you hear in Daytona? Biketoberfest is on the way. What you need to know

Jim Abbott, Daytona Beach News-Journal
·4 min read
9

With a hint of fall weather in the air, it's the perfect time to prepare for one of Daytona Beach's beloved fall rituals.

Biketoberfest, the more streamlined offspring of the more mammoth spring Bike Week motorcycle gathering, is just around the corner.

This year’s edition of the four-day fall motorcycle rally will unfold Oct. 19-22 in Daytona Beach and throughout Volusia and Flagler counties. Now in it’s 31st year, the event typically draws an estimated crowd of 100,000 motorcycle riders and fans.

A look along Main Street in front of the Dirty Harry's Pub in Daytona Beach during Biketoberfest 2022. The annual fall event returns Oct. 19-22.
A look along Main Street in front of the Dirty Harry's Pub in Daytona Beach during Biketoberfest 2022. The annual fall event returns Oct. 19-22.

What’s in store for the 2023 event? Here’s what you need to know about Biketoberfest:

What's the history of Biketoberfest?

The fall motorcycle event was added to the annual calendar in 1992, when Georgia Turner, then public relations director for the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Janet Kersey, then the bureau’s events director, came up with the idea to boost area hotels, restaurants and other businesses during a traditionally slow time of year.

Not only has the event withstood the test of time, but both of those leaders also remain highly involved in promoting tourism and businesses in the area: Turner is executive director of the West Volusia Tourism Advertising Authority, while Kersey is executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Is Biketoberfest as big as Bike Week?

Not quite.

Biketoberfest is a four-day event, while the annual Bike Week in the spring stretches across 10 days in Daytona Beach and across a broader swatch of Central Florida that includes Volusia, Flagler, Seminole, Orange, Brevard, St. Johns and Duval counties.

The estimated attendance for Bike Week is typically in the 300,000-400,000 range, according to the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce, which coordinates that event.

Since you mentioned it, when is Bike Week 2024?

If you’re making plans, Bike Week 2024 will unfold March 1-10 in its traditional hub in Daytona Beach and throughout Central Florida. The event is now in its 83rd year.

And, no, it’s not too early to be making plans. Bike Week 2024 was already trending late this summer amid interest in the legendary Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota that unfolded Aug. 4-13.

What are the must-do events at Biketoberfest?

Here are a few of the not-to-be-missed activities at Biketoberfest:

Make it to Main Street. Although Biketoberfest has expanded its footprint over the years, ground zero is still Main Street, packed elbow-to-elbow and tailpipe-to-tailpipe with motorcycles, onlookers, street vendors, bands and unusual characters from the Main Street bridge to State Road A1A.

Biketoberfest along Main Street in Daytona Beach usually takes on the Halloween spirit, like this biker in 2022.
Biketoberfest along Main Street in Daytona Beach usually takes on the Halloween spirit, like this biker in 2022.

Ride the Ormond Loop. This famed 23-mile stretch from Birthplace of Speed Park to the Tomoka River basin is known for its lush canopies of live oaks and breathtaking ocean, river and marsh views.

Part of a larger 30-mile-plus double loop, the trek takes riders past an assortment of oceanfront beach parks along State Road A1A, as well as North Peninsula State Park, Highbridge Park, Bulow Creek State Park and the Fairchild Oak, Tomoka State Park, Tomoka Outpost and the Ormond Beach Historical Society.

Find details on this ride and others at biketoberfest.org.

Visit Daytona International Speedway. At the annual Fall Cycle Scene, the American Sportbike Racing Association and the American Motorcyclist Association host a weekend’s worth of on-track races on the high banks of Daytona International Speedway. Daily tickets and multiple-day passes range from $18-$56 at DaytonaInternationalSpeedway.com.

In addition, the Speedway also will host vendors, displays and entertainment in front of the track’s entrance at the Midway Marketplace, and admission is free.

Are there new things to do at Biketoberfest 2023?

Riders looking for colorful photo ops now can travel the Daytona Beach Mural Trail, a route promoted by the Daytona Beach Area CVB that highlights more than two dozen colorful murals throughout the Daytona Beach area.

Stops range from Main Street, the event’s Ground Zero people-watching hub, to Teddy Morse’s Harley-Davidson at the sprawling Destination Daytona complex at the intersection of I-95 and U.S. Highway 1 in Ormond Beach.

Anglers try their luck on the end of the resently reopened Daytona Pier, Thursday July 27, 2023
Anglers try their luck on the end of the resently reopened Daytona Pier, Thursday July 27, 2023

Other top spots to see include the scenic view from the new Riverfront Esplanade on Beach Street as well as the historic Daytona Beach Pier, recently renovated following damage from tropical storms Ian and Nicole.

Where can I find more information about Biketoberfest?

Visit the event’s official site, Biketoberfest.org, for more details.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Biketoberfest 2023 is ready to roll into Daytona Beach.