Organizers are hoping to make Owensboro a major motorcycle enthusiast destination with the annual River City Bike Show. Notable new events in 2024 will be an all-Harley-Davidson stunt show along with a pub/restaurant crawl, plus the sound competition on the pier will be part of the national points circuit.
The show, which is open to the public, is scheduled for May 31-June 2, 2024 at the Owensboro Convention Center. The inaugural 2-day event in 2023 drew about 3,000 people. Organizers hope an extra day and new events will bring in double, or even triple, the crowd.
“We’re thrilled to bring the River City Bike Expo to Owensboro,” said event founder Mark Rhoades, who owns the Pinup Baggers motorcycle shop in Newburgh. “This event is more than just a showcase of bikes; it’s a celebration of the spirit, passion, and sense of community that motorcycles bring to our lives.”
Rhoades is perhaps most looking forward to the addition of the Busted Knuckles Stunt Tour, a well-recognized company that travels to major venues such as Sturgis, Daytona, and Panama. Riders perform stunts that include wheelies, acrobatics, burnouts, jumps, pyro, and other tricks they may have up their sleeves. Every show is unique.
There will be one performance on Friday night, followed by more on Saturday and Sunday.
Rhoades is also excited about the addition of the pub/restaurant crawl — which comes with an “incentive” beyond eating and drinking.
There will be about 12 locations on the crawl, and attendees can get a card punched at each stop. Various local manufacturers will be stationed at the different locations. On Sunday, those manufacturers will have door prizes for which the crawl attendees can be eligible.
Rhoades said the City of Owensboro trolley will visit multiple stops downtown, taking attendees to restaurants and pubs “for a full night of entertainment.” The rides are included in the weekend admission package.
Jimmy Allyn, who runs the nationally recognized media service Bluegrass Biker News, is helping Rhoades put on the event.
Allyn noted that the 2024 audio competition will also be a points stop on the national tour.
“You’ve got guys that travel to the big national rallies because they’re earning season points, and this will be a stop on that route. So there’s a lot of national draw in the motorcycle community,” he said. “There’s a lot of excitement coming to town.”
Rhoades said, “We want people to ride their bike here and spend the weekend. That’s what it’s about.
In addition to the events, the Bike Show expo will again have hundreds of bikes on display, vendors, and a live tattoo experience. There will also be a church service on Sunday morning presented by the Christian Motorcycle Association at the Convention Center.
The bike show inside is put on by Urban Rides magazine, a national publication and global print syndicate. The overall event is sponsored by the Evansville Harley-Davidson and Tennessee-based parts company ThunderMax.
ThunderMax Vice President of Marketing Jake Callis said Owensboro is a great destination for the motorcycle community.
“There are so many cool little restaurants and the downtown area is super cool,” he said. “We all do the big bike things, and having more of that down-home kind of feel, I think, is super important. This area is underrepresented, I think, in the bike world. This will give them a reason to come out here. It’s not all parties and wild music and stuff for us. A lot of these guys just want to go out and find a cool little restaurant or a cool little brewery where they can hang out with their friends, and this is perfect for that.”
Rhoades said for locals and visitors alike, there will be something for people of all ages to enjoy.
“It’s going to be a full weekend of entertainment for all types of people,” he said. “Whether you’re a seasoned rider or just curious, there’s something for everyone.”
