BIKER NEWS: Bikers ready to roar downtown for Street Vibrations Fall Rally

BN- Thousands of motorcycles and even more people will flood the streets of downtown Reno and Virginia City Wednesday through Sunday as the 21st annual Street Vibrations Fall Rally revs up.

The festival will feature several large musical acts, appearances by the International Bikini Team and a tattoo expo for those with an ink addiction. Officials said they are expecting 50,000 people to attend this year’s rally, the fourth largest of its kind in the nation, and an influx of $96 million into the local economy.

Street Vibrations spokeswoman Carol Infranca said even with the 10,000 expected registered riders, she expected more unofficial riders.

“Only a small percentage of the people who come to the event actually register,” she said. “A lot don’t want to be on people’s timeline or work on an agenda. They just want to do what they want to do.”

Officials said those who register as VIPs enjoy perks like premium parking and entrance into special events. VIP registration is still available for $70.

“Those walk-ups keep our registration sites busy,” said Randy Burke, president of Roadshows, the event's Reno-based organizer. “Many riders want to check the weather before they hit the road.”

The weather is expected to be clear throughout the rally, with highs in the mid-80s, prevalent sunshine and light winds.

The rally is not just for bikers, Infranca said. Musical acts will play across five stages in Reno and one in Virginia City. She said some riders come from hundreds of miles just for the 250-plus vendors

“I remember sometimes when I was working with the info booth last year, people would come to ask about a specific vendor because they’d driven hundreds of miles to visit them,” she said.

Country group Rascal Flatts will play at 8 p.m. Sep. 24 at the Reno Events Center, with other performances by Rebel Soul, Jason King, Tazer, The Novelists and Boogie Daddies throughout the week scattered across five stages. The International Bikini Team has several appearances scheduled, including meet-and-greet sessions and the crowning of Miss Street Vibrations on Saturday.

Regular traffic on Virginia Street will be closed between First and Sixth streets and cross streets between Sierra and Center streets. The rally will be centered on C Street in Virginia City.

Infranca said she wanted to urge people to be aware of the influx of motorcycles into the area this weekend.

“Sometimes they’re hard to see when you’re driving a car,” she said. “They’re loud and you can hear them, but we don’t want you to meet them on the road.”

Street Vibrations officially opens 2 p.m. Wednesday, with slow bike races beginning at 3:45 p.m. in downtown Reno.

Map:

A map of downtown Reno for the Street Vibrations Fall Rally. (Photo: Carol Infranca/Photo provided)

Schedule:

Wednesday

2-9 p.m. – Vendors open

3:45 p.m. – Slow bike races

6:45 p.m. – Slow bike races

Thursday

10 a.m. – Vendors open

10 a.m.-12 p.m. – Tattoo expo at Reno Ballroom

10 a.m.-10 p.m. – Custom bike builders expo at Reno Ballroom

10 a.m.-2 p.m. – Poker run

11 a.m.-1 p.m. – Scavenger hunt

11:45 – Slow bike races

12-4 p.m. – Rebel Soul, Harrah’s Plaza

12-4 p.m. – Jason King, Jagermeister Stage (between Third Street and Commercial Row on train trench)

12-4 p.m. – Nevada Hazzurd, Circus Circus Stage

12-4 p.m. – Rick Hammond, Silver Legacy Stage

12-4 p.m. – Blu, Cal Neva Stage

12:45-1 p.m. – International Bikini Team, Silver Legacy Stage

2-6 p.m. – Tazer, Chester’s Reno Harley-Davidson

3:45 p.m. – Slow bike races

4:45 p.m. – International Bikini Team semi-finals competition, Jagermeister Stage

5-9 p.m. – Beatles Flashback, Jagermeister Stage

5-9 p.m. – Blues Monsters, Circus Circus Stage

5-9 p.m. – The Novelists, Silver Legacy Stage

5-9 p.m. – Lucky Tongue, Cal Neva Stage

5:30 p.m. – International Bikini Team, Harrah’s Plaza

5:45 p.m. – Ceremonial flag raising by Spanish Springs High School Jr. ROTC Color Guard

6:30 p.m. – International Bikini Team, Brew Brothers in El Dorado

7-9 p.m. – Journey Revisited, Harrah’s Plaza

8 p.m. – Rascal Flatts, Reno Events Center

More: http://www.rgj.com/story/news/2015/09/22/bikers-ready-roar-downtown-street-vibrations-fall-rally/72639708/