WATONGA – Organizers say they’re extremely pleased after Watonga’s second annual Bikes & BBQ rally brought hundreds of bikers, vendors and families to town this past weekend.
With nice weather smiling on the event, founder John Morris estimates that turnout doubled, or maybe even tripled, the inaugural Bikes & BBQ in 2021.
Morris doesn’t have any official estimates, but has heard that more than 2,500 people and 650-plus bikes were in Watonga on Saturday.
“I have zero complaints about this weekend,” he told the Watonga Republican. “Everything was amazing. I didn’t have to get stressed. All my board did, 100 percent, the best job that could have been done. It was a well-oiled machine.”
Morris said the rally’s marquee event, the Saturday-morning poker run, had 240 scoresheets turned in afterward. That doesn’t even count the bikers who participated but didn’t turn in their form. And 221 people filled out liability waivers to race on the drag trailer on Noble, Morris said.
With another successful weekend, Morris is confident that Bikes & BBQ will be back next spring, bigger than ever. “I am so hyped about how this year went,” he said, “I’m ready to start working on next year.”
Local business owners reported a sales boost from the event. Daryl Cathey, whose businesses include a downtown restaurant and dispensary, said on
Facebook that all his companies “did awesome” over the weekend.
Visit watongabikesandbbq.com to purchase official rally merch, sign up for the newsletter, or submit feedback about the event.
Photo provided by Teresa Ann France