A few years ago a friend of mine suggested she’d like to go to the motorcycle rally in Port Dover. The tradition of motorcyclists descending upon Port Dover, Ontario on each Friday the 13th started in 1981 with Chris Simons and 25 of his friends. It has since become an event that brings over 100,000 bikers to the town in summer months.
We took advantage right away because there were not going to be any Friday the thirteenths in warm weather for the next couple of years. Off we went – I should say my friend has a motorcycle but, unsure of whether we would be participants or spectators, decided to travel by car and regretted it.
Once we arrived, we witnessed a huge number of bikers forming a parade around the town. There were so many bikes and of course some of the brassiest were the Harley Davidsons. The town was ready for the riders with vendors selling clothing, equipment, and accessories. The restaurants were full, but of course food was available on the street as well. Some visitorscamped or stayed in local accommodations, but many were there to take in the sights for the day.
The unique designs and the details on the bikes were particularly astonishing. There were some with sidecars and matching trailers.
The bikes were not the only interesting elements that day… the participants and bystanders were fun to watch, and we wondered what might have been said or about to happen on a couple of occasions photographed here. I can’t wait to see the rally again. Hmmm, the next possible date in 2023 is October.
