GARDEN CITY, SC (WBTW) – The 2019 Myrtle Beach Fall Bike Rally has bikers cruising up and down the Grand Strand nearly one hundred miles from one hangout to the next all week long.
The event started at a local Myrtle Beach shop, Jamin’ Leather, by the current owner, Jamie Keats, nearly 20 years ago.
Since 1997, Keats prepares months in advance each year for fall rallies by setting up vendors, charity auctions, and entertainment for the riders who dedicate an entire week to cruise the Grand Strand coast.
“So far today, for almost the past twenty years we have been doing charity auctions and have raised over a quarter of a million dollars for The Red Cross. This spring we raised about fifty-two hundred dollars, Keats said.
Jamin’ Leather will continue to raise money this week for The Red Cross and is hoping for a good turnout.
Some riders are local, others come from out of state and call this week a vacation or a nice break from work.
“We have had a lot of regulars that have come through for many years. They enjoy the rally the open spaces and the distance that they can go from one part of the rally to the other and the fact that they have so many amenities here in Myrtle Beach,” Keats said.
Fall and spring rallies are a chance for them to kick back, meet up with old friends they have made over the years, and make new ones.
Over the years, people who attend the rallies have created a growing community and use the semi-annual rally as a chance to reunite, relax on the coast, and enjoy the common hobby.
Riders describe the biking community to News13 as “the best you will ever meet” and “a community with a special bond.”
Some popular hangouts include the Myrtle Beach Harley-Davidson, Jamin’ Leather, Spokes and Bones Saloon, and other bars and restaurants located from North Myrtle Beach down to Murrells Inlet.
Live music, charity auctions, and vendors are expected to draw tons of riders to cruise down Highway 17 and the Grand Strand the rest of the weekend.
The rally goes until Sunday, October 6th.
