More than 100,000 people are expected to descend on the South Strand for the 80th anniversary of the Myrtle Beach Bike Week Spring Rally.
“We have some people coming into town who have been coming for 40 and 50 years, Tina Stanton, retail manager at local bar Suck Bang Blow said. “They are really excited to celebrate the anniversary in particular because they’ve been coming for so long, since they were kids, some coming since they were young families now bringing their young children and grand children. So it really does have it’s own oral and community history attached to it.”
Kick off events for the Week began last night and the rides, concerts and tours will continue through May 19th.
Stanton tells News13, an additional 100 people come to town from across the country to work bike week and many of these employees come to work each year.
In preparation for the large crowds, additional bars have been added and stocked and new merchandise was added to the store, but Stanton said the economic benefit of this week isn’t limited to the bars and restaurants on the South Strand.
“A huge spike in hotels, gas stations, convenience stores, all the bars and restaurants of course,”Stanton said. “The Marsh Walk sees 150 thousand people come through in about ten days so really not to mention the economic impact for the businesses, but the people who work for them.”