ATLANTIC BEACH, SC (WBTW) – Several bikers came to the Grand Strand Thursday, and many of them can be found where the annual Bikefest originated, Atlantic Beach.
Vendors started setting up there Thursday morning. The town manager says so far they have 40 vendors signed up for the weekend.
Business owners, bikers, vendors, and town officials said this weekend’s event is what puts Atlantic Beach on the map.
Dexter Dunston is the owner of Temptations Catering and says as his prep for the weekend comes to a close, he and other business owners are hoping to cash in.
“This weekend, it brings a lot of money to this city. I mean a lot. I have talked to other stores, convenience stores, and they look forward for us to come down here and bring the money because these boys do bring the money, and they like to splurge,” said Dunston.
Douglas Cunningham has been a DJ at Off the Hook, a bar in Atlantic Beach for ten years now, and he says the town comes alive during Bikefest.
“Saturday and Sunday, you can’t even walk up and down this street. It’s that packed,” said Cunningham.
He says businesses in the area depend on the weekend to make a large majority of their money for the year.
“It means a lot because it’s like a livelihood to the family. The family owns this bar right here. It means a lot to them,” said Cunningham.
Marian Frierson lives in Atlantic Beach. Thursday, she and her friends watched as the bikers came in, and they say while the money the bikers bring to the area is nice, the event is about something more.
“It’s our community. It’s our history. We go so far back, over 50 years, and this is where it’s at,” said Frierson.
