STURGIS, S.D. (KELO) — Even though it’s still the beginning of 2023, planning for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally started months ago.

The streets of Sturgis look pretty normal right now, but in 6 months they will be filled with motorcycles.

In the City of Sturgis there are around 7,000 people that live here on a daily basis. During rally week, that number jumps to hundreds of thousands.

Rally Director Tammy Even-Cordell says planning a big event like that takes time.

“We start contacting people early in the year, work with them, make sure they can all make it and get it on their calendars because everybody’s booked all summer long,” Even-Cordell said.

Even-Cordell says rally staff are working on booking events, parking details, and vendors.
Businesses like Black Hills Rally and Gold are currently ordering all of their items for rally week.

“I think we are going to have a lot better luck with supply-chain issues, we had quite a bit of trouble last year, we ended up getting things in literally during rally and of course then you don’t sell through it. So we are excited that things will go smoother this year,” Robin Baldwin, Owner of Black Hills Rally and Gold, said.

Each year the Sturgis Rally brings new opportunities and new challenges. But both Even-Cordell and Black Hills Rally and Gold say they are excited for the big event.

“Everything right now is going smooth, I have a great team and coworkers that have done this for years. They remind me of things maybe I forgot last year so I am excited about it, it’s going to be a fun year,” Even-Cordell said.

This year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally begins August 4th and runs through Sunday the 13th.