Little Sturgis Motorcycle Rally boost economic engine of town
Little Sturgis keeps rolling through Saturday, Aug. 17.
STURGIS, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s that time of year again. If you’re in or near Oktibbeha County, you’ve probably seen more motorcycles than usual.
The Little Sturgis Rally is kicking into gear. And while it’s good camaraderie for bikers and bike fans, it’s a financial shot in the arm for the small town.
Sturgis has a population of about 200 people, but locals expect the Little Sturgis Motorcycle rally to rev that number up to about 7,500 over three days.
Robert Kusch is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
He says he’s been attending the event since its beginning.
“It’s just a real warm feeling here,” Kusch said. “All of the nice people, it’s not a huge, huge rally, but it’s so friendly. (There’s) lots of people, lots of motorcycles, and everybody comes together. ”
Kusch says along with the sights, sounds, and smells of the rally, he likes to visit the local businesses.
He says he’s even formed friendships with some of the owners as well as town officials.
“It’s just so personable,” Kusch said. “We were walking along, stopped to look at some t-shirts, and we met the mayor. Next thing you know, we’re in town hall sharing stories about coming to Sturgis. It’s not every day you go to town, see the Mayor, talk to her, and become her friend.”
Mayor Leah Brown says the town of Sturgis depends on the rally every year. It brings them more visitors than any other time of the year.
“It is bigger than Christmas time for us,” Brown said. “The money spent here, those tax dollars brings money back here, and those are monies our town depends on year after year.”
As bikers ride the open road, all the traffic coming up and down Highway 12 gives local businesses a boost.
“The Cafe, the antique store, the convenience store, all of our stores are impacted in a positive way,” Brown said.
Co-owner of Sturgis Cafe, Penney Thompson says the rally is something they look forward to every year, and this is their busiest week.
“Not only does it bring revenue for our town, but it also brings in revenue for businesses like us, and small businesses cause it’s not just our locals and it’s people coming from all over,” Thompson said. “Also, I think it gives us time to be brought together as a community as well.”
Along with the revenue, the camaraderie is what makes it a town favorite.
Little Sturgis keeps rolling through Saturday, Aug. 17.
