Bikes, Blues and BBQ: ‘We’ve outgrown Fayetteville’

story by Christopher Spencer

Bikes, Blues and BBQ, the region’s largest biker rally, expands to Springdale this year for the first time.

“Frankly, we’ve outgrown Fayetteville,” said event organizer Joe Giles on Friday (Aug. 26) at a press conference announcing the 11th year of the nonprofit event which is scheduled for Sept. 28 through Oct 1. “Springdale is our sister city and we want to share some of this with them.”

Springdale’s Parsons Arena will host an AMXA Arenacross exhibition and competition worth $10,000 to the winner.

“Cowboy” Kenny Bartram, a professional freestyle motocrosser and rally car driver, will perform at the exhibition that Friday and Saturday. He’s been interviewed on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno and 60 Minutes and was once the guest star of CMT’s Greatest Outlaws.

Dickson Street has always been the hub of the rally, but new venues, such as Baum Stadium and the Washington County Fairgrounds were added in recent years.

In fact, the popular “Parade of Power” which is Saturday’s highlight starts this year at the Washington County Fairgrounds before traveling to Dickson Street.

There will also be souped-up lawnmower races at the fairgrounds Friday night.

“It’s about 40 hopped up lawnmowers that are piloted by what we are pretty sure are just idiot rednecks going round and round … this is entertainment at its best. It will be worth your while to be out there,” Giles said.

He also spoke about the event’s music lineup. Local bands will perform for free at a number of stages, but the headliners, alternative rockers Candlebox on Friday and country musician Jamey Johnson on Saturday, will perform at ticketed shows at the Arkansas Music Pavilion in north Fayetteville.

Giles was part of a panel of volunteers with the organization who spoke today at the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce and highlighted Bikes, Blues and BBQ events.

The barbecue portion of the event has grown from a “few semi-sober individuals” of six teams to 2010’s 52-team turn out, said contest organizer Ron Autry. There will be $20,000 in awards to the winners of this Kansas City Barbeque Society-sanctioned competition.
Six dollars is the cost for an arm band that includes parking at the Washington County Fairgrounds and a tasting kit. Only 3,000 will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

“So get them early,” Autry said.

A special big-screen television will be set up at Thompson Hall at the fairgrounds to give Razorback fans a chance to watch the game Saturday while enjoying the event. The Arkansas Missouri Railroad will also be available to shuttle people between the Dickson Street and Baum Stadium throughout the festival.

Mayor Lioneld Jordan of Fayetteville of Mayor Doug Sprouse of Springdale attended and expressed confidence that the growth of the festival will remain an economic driver for the region and a source of donations for local charitable organizations.

Sponsors say Bikes, Blues and BBQ draws 400,000 people to the region. That number is an estimate made through observation. A formula based on trash usage shows the attendance for the rally could be closer to 100,000.

A major part of the event continues to be the cash donations made to local nonprofits. Since 2000, Bikes, Blues & BBQ has donated over $600,000 to local charities. Local nonprofits received donations totaling $80,000 last year. In 2009, $48,500 was sprinkled over 33 charities. That was far higher than 2008 when no money was distributed despite reported growth in festival attendance. The festival also suspended donations in 2003.

“The charities are very important and we take every step we can to make sure we can give donations each year,” said Ben Handford, Bikes, Blues and BBQ president and CEO.