The jam-packed schedule of outrageous Sturgis Motorcycle Rally events at the Chip practically runs around the clock, and there is truly something for everyone!
Want to be the first to find out what Sturgis Motorcycle Rally events will be coming to the Best Party Anywhere in 2023? Be sure to sign up for the Sturgis Rider® Newsletter to get announcements before anyone else!
Check out the Chip’s daily schedule to see the full lineup of events at the Best Party Anywhere. You can easily plan your vacation by filtering your search by date, location and event type. Don’t find out about the fun after it’s already happened; check out the schedule so you can make your plans and get in on the Authentic Sturgis Buffalo Chip Experience!
The Moto Meetup - The Buffalo Chip Official Sturgis Rally Kickoff Party begins with a bang on Friday, Aug. 4 with the Support Bikers Moto Meetup at the Big Engine Bar at 4 p.m.
The Parade - At 5 p.m. you can line up to join hundreds of bikers* to parade through the Chip’s legendary amphitheater for the kickoff. The parade starts at 6 p.m.
How to Join the Parade - Make a reservation that includes Aug. 4. Email us at [email protected] with your existing reservation number and the number of bikes on your reservation that you want to be in the parade. Please enter “Parade” in the Subject Line.
You will receive correspondence about where to meet and lineup at the Support Bikers Moto Meetup.
Battle Of The Bands, Beer Wall Smash, and More - Once inside the amphitheater, the festivities will continue with a Beer Wall Smash Stunt, Star-Spangled Banner, live entertainment on the Main Stage from the winners of the Sturgis Battle of the Bands Competition, ZZ Top, and the International Bikini Team!
*Only the first 100 registered will get to park bikes inside the amphitheater for that night’s show. The rest will parade through and be ushered to parking outside the amphitheater gates.
Get the Limited-Edition Poster to Benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation
On Thursday, Aug. 10 Blake Wallenda and Daredevil Kyle Ives will risk their lives attempting a death-defying feat that even Evel Knievel and Karl Wallenda wouldn’t attempt…The Death Wire Daredevil Spectacular!
Before the headlining performance by Def Leppard, Blake Wallenda, will attempt one of the longest highwire walks of his career, “The Death Wire Walk,” over the Sturgis Buffalo Chip amphitheater while Kyle Ives attempts to jump a motorcycle over him.
To commemorate this history-making performance, the Buffalo Chip commissioned artist Darren McKeag to create a collector’s edition poster that you would be proud to hang on your wall, and sales to benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation.
Additional activities will include a ramp-to-ramp jump by Shawn Ives, Sherco Trials Stunts and more.
Concerts are free with camping at the Buffalo Chip. Whether you want to come for one night of the party or for two full weeks, your pass allows you to camp, and the concerts are a bonus. If you’ve got a pass, you’re welcome to stay and camp until 10 a.m. the day after your pass date, but it isn’t required. We just make it possible for you to stay so you don't hit the highway after partying too much.
There’s nothing more powerful, unifying and exhilarating than rumbling down the road with hundreds of fellow riders. The world has millions of miles of roads to explore, but riders looking for unrivaled camaraderie as well as twists and turns, breathtaking vistas, and fun pit stops find some of the most spectacular rides in the Black Hills of South Dakota. If you’re headed to the Hills this August, let the Buffalo Chip be your guide to the best Sturgis rides!
See why the Buffalo Chip Races have quickly become the epicenter of Sturgis rally racing events. Buffalo Chip Races feature multiple days and disciplines of races. Don’t miss being a part of this tradition at the world’s most unique race and concert venue.
The Chip’s Military Tribute Day gives you the chance to experience a variety of powerful presentations, moving events and inspiring performances, all specifically designed to recognize those who have selflessly served and, in some instances, lost their lives.
Meet up with your friends and experience the best of the Sturgis Rally's free motorcycle, music, and freedom-oriented events and attractions! Shop dozens of unique vendors, compete in crazy contests, witness insane motorcycle stunts or just kick back with some cold ones and watch the lineup concerts of entertainment on the Big Engine Bar Stage.
This is the only one place in Sturgis you need visit to get your fill of motorcycles that are the furthest thing from stock. The custom bike scene lives at the Chip with distinctive shows happening nearly every day of Sturgis Rally. While you’re getting an up-close look at all the amazing craftsmanship, you’ll also have the opportunity to see and meet some of the biggest names in the industry who will be hosting, attending and judging these shows!
If you’ve got a hidden talent, the Sturgis Buffalo Chip is the place to let it shine! Each year during the rally, the Chip plays host to a huge variety of crazy-fun contests. It doesn’t matter if you’re the world’s best bike builder or you can burp your ABCs; the Chip’s got a contest you can enter and win!
Shoot the big guns and the fully automatics with gun expert Alan Samuel at the Buffalo Chip Shooting Complex. Also visit Machine Gun Tours CrossRoads location to check out their goods and inquire about the shooting and rental packages. Or view those packages and book one now through the link below.
Roll on up to the legendary Wolfman Jack Stage and rev your engines for the luscious ladies of the International Bikini Team as they compete for the title of Miss Buffalo Chip. The Chip hosts three rounds of the Miss Buffalo Chip Pageant every night of the Sturgis Rally.
Ride and rub elbows with some of the biggest names in the biz on an awe-inspiring trip from historic Deadwood to the Legendary Buffalo Chip. Celebrities who have made appearances on The Ride That Rocks™ include Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, Journey’s Neal Schon, Orange County Choppers’ Paul Teutul, Sr., South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem and the Ness family, just to name a few. One hundred percent of rider fees support worthy local charities.
Experience a day of Real Riders, Real Stories and Real Passion during the annual Sturgis Buffalo Chip Biker Belles Celebration! You’re invited to join the guided Morning Ride™ through the beautiful Black Hills and participate in a day of festivities that celebrates women in riding and supports organizations benefitting women’s causes.
Riders don’t have to have a fully custom-built motorcycle at the Biker Belles Bike Show to enter. Whether it’s a mile muncher covered in dirt, which may win the Dirtiest Bike award, a mild custom, or even a really great story behind the ride, all women-owned bikes are invited to roll down to show it off at the Biker Belles Women's Bike Show. While this show will only be displaying bikes ridden by women, all are invited to attend.
Meet and ride alongside Rusty Wallace, his celebrity NASCAR driver friends and top racing industry executives! The ride kicks off with a party in Spearfish, SD and takes you through an incredible route chosen by Rusty himself to an exclusive reception at the Legendary Sturgis Buffalo Chip.
Experience the creativity, spirit and personal expression of motorcycle history and culture by visiting the Buffalo Chip’s Motorcycles as Art Exhibition. Get an up-close look at the work of some of the industry’s best builders and artists during this internationally renowned exhibit.
Black Hills Helicopter Rally presented by Bell Flight
In 2023, a chopper of a different kind will join the rally action when Bell hosts a fleet of lucky pilots and their passengers for the first-ever Black Hills Helicopter Rally. Private owners of Bell Helicopters will fly in for with a Sturgis Buffalo Chip VIP experience. Keep your eyes to the sky, and if you wonder why, it’s because the iconic American civilian and military supplier is stepping up the program and hosting their top customers at the Chip., Get a peek at some of the world’s most prestigious helicopters when the inaugural Black Hills Helicopter Rally presented by Bell Flight flies-in to prove once again that there is no experience like the Legendary Buffalo Chip!
Are you a master of pelvic storytelling? Do you have a whole lotta motion in your ocean? If you’re an expert at making love to nobody in particular, then you’d make a serious contender in the Air Sex World Championships. If you’re not an air Casanova, you can laugh yourself silly watching people do the dirtiest and most ridiculous stuff you’ve ever seen anyone do to the air.
If you’ve got an exceptional sense of style and like to “Do It Yourself,” then this daily contest is the place to put your skills to the test for a chance to win prizes. If seeing women wearing skimpy homespun bikinis sounds like something you’d enjoy, this is easily one of the hottest places to be during the Sturgis Rally.
The Sturgis Buffalo Chip is a land of equal opportunity, so if you’re a dude who wants to rock a homemade bikini, we’re not going to stand in your way! After the ladies warm things up, you’ll get the same shot at strutting your stuff in a mankini of your own design.
Belly flop, face plant, back flip, cannonball, you name it—this is the event where anything goes. Whether you’ve got real skill or just want to act like an idiot, this contest will help you cool off during the hot days at the Bikini Beach Swim Paradise!
There’s no bad time to launch yourself down the ginormous slip ‘n’ slide at Bikini Beach, but if you do it during the daily Slip ‘N’ Slide Relay, a free beer will be waiting for you at the end! Take the plunge, swim to the ladder, slam your beer and flip your cup faster than the opposing team, and you’ll come out the winner!
Get your mind into the gutter and bust out some of your dirtiest doodles in this hilarious new Bikini Beach contest. Just like regular Pictionary, the goal is to get your teammates to guess the words that are on your card. But unlike the original, the words you’ll be drawing in this uncensored version will be far from family friendly.
If you’d rather drink a six-pack than have six pack abs, this is the contest for you. While it takes years—or even decades– of dedication to shape the perfect beer belly, it only takes a few moments to win the Chip’s Beer Belly Contest. Show off your guts for glory during Buffalo Chip Fan Fest and you could win a pair of Stage West meal deals!
To hell with minding your manners! The Chip wants your longest, loudest juiciest burp, and we’ll give you the liquid ammunition you need to get ‘er done! Head on over to Bikini Beach for this daily contest during the Sturgis Rally.
Everyone knows wet t-shirt contests are hot, but since the daily party at Bikini Beach is already so smokin’, this contest’s contestants have to use frozen t-shirts to cool things down! Pull it, tear it, sit on it, or soak it with your beer; we don’t care how you get it on, just do it before the other contestants.
Hang over the edge and watch in amazement as the world-famous Ives Brothers defy death, performing stunts on their traveling vertical wooden board track. They’ll be performing multiple daily shows throughout the rally. Check out the times posted by their motodrome and plan to take one in.
If you’ve got a need for smiles, show up with or without a bike for these daily races at Camp Zero Hell Track. Go around the dam, sail past the bus, and fly into the air, for a chance to win all the glory. A limited number of Smile Makers will be available for use thanks to Coleman Powersports, SnapFabrications and Camp Zero.
The sights, sounds and smells of badass motorcycles thundering by at speeds of up to 120 mph will raise the hair on the back of your neck and have you wanting more when they peel off the drag strip line in the middle of The Chip®’s legendary amphitheater.
Visit the Maiden Moto Art Show curated by Savannah Rose at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip’s free-access CrossRoads Friday, Aug. 5-Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022. This all-female traveling art and motorcycle show powered by Harley-Davidson showcases female artists from within the moto community. The show at the Buffalo Chip will feature 20+ artists of varying mediums focused on women and their motorcycles, as well as bikes built, owned, and ridden by ladies.
Featuring Xavier Muriel of Providence Cycle Worx
The first campers to ever pass through the Buffalo Chip gate in 1981 rode in on choppers, so it’s only fitting that the Custom Series includes a show for chopper lovers. Old school, new school and everything in between will be on display, plus win huge cash prizes.
If you’ve got a Wang, show off that thang at the Wango Tango Custom Gold Wing Show! Honda’s development of the Gold Wing changed the face of two-wheeled touring back in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Now, it’s about to change the face of America’s greatest V-twin event, as it fills the no. 1 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally destination with a sea of vintage and modern metric customs.
Come meet, hangout and challenge your favorite content creators, YouTubers, social media wizards and internet stars at the Buffalo Chip Creator Hangout on Saturday, Aug. 5 at the Big Engine Bar. The first event of its kind, the Creator Hangout gives you the opportunity to rub elbows with your favorite motorcycle content creators and even compete with them in biker games and shenanigans hosted by Buffalo Chip Emcee extraordinaire Tumbleweed. Who will you see there? Adam Sandoval, The Badgers, Bradytildeath, the Bam Bam Show, Bob and Tam’s Excellent Adventures, Her Two Wheels, Jason Lightner, The Ornery One, Pat Patterson, Primecut Pro, Ride to Food, Savannah Rose and so many more!
Kickstart your vacation with the cool kids at the Sturgis Rally by meeting the world’s front line custom builders at the Flying Piston Breakfast Benefit. This exclusive event allows you to meet and mingle with some of motorcycling’s most distinguished builders. Surprise special guests, too! And best of all, proceeds benefit charity.
Ride in and register for free for this no-nonsense motorcycle event coordinated by Joe Mielke that brings together motorcycle riders to have fun and show and talk motorcycles. Now in its 11th year, this show is all about the riders, their stories and their ride. Tons of great prizes will be awarded based on popular vote thanks to the support of many of the biggest names in the motorcycle world and aftermarket parts industry. One hundred percent of the revenue generated from donations and t-shirt sales at this show go directly to LifeScape of SD.
Celebrate choppers, talk chop and have a good time during an evening of old-school rodeo games at Camp Zero! Saddle up for some games like the cowboy barrel cross, rail ride, highway cones, weenie grab, slow races, barrel races and more. Prizes including $250 cash and Buffalo Chip admission passes are up for grabs!
You don’t have to be in your 20s to strut your stuff at the Buffalo Chip. Like a fine whiskey or your favorite pair of leather boots, the women of the Buffalo Chip’s Sassy & Classy Model Contest are proof that certain things just keep getting better with age!
Burn rubber and haul ass to one of the most badass bike shows to ever set up shop during the Sturgis Rally. Indian and Victory owners are throttling into the Sturgis Buffalo Chip’s Pretty Fast Show at the free-access CrossRoads on Monday, Aug. 7.
Join Led Sled for communal event that celebrates the history, culture and diversity of one of the coolest bikes in existence, the Harley-Davidson Sportster along with Harley-Davidson, Chop Machine, V-Twin Visionary, Biltwell, Lowbrow Customs, Whiteknuckler Brand, Chop Cult, Garage Built Podcast and Cycle Source. The show is held at CAMP ZERO near the Sturgis Buffalo Chip East Gate. It’s free to enter and attend and features a mind-blowing collection of customized Sportster models and a large dose of memorable mayhem.
They say it’s not the size of the bike that matters, but rather how you customize it. Nowhere will that simple truth be more evident than the Camp Zero Mini Bike Show Presented by Snap Fabrications and featuring Joe Mielke. Whether you’re a master fabricator or a self-deprecator and letting your freak flag fly is the name of the game. As long as it’s small in stature and big in character, give that puppy a pull-start and ride it on in to Camp Zero for a little bit of fun.
Anything goes during the Anarchy Games. Show up on a bike. Roll a keg, race slow, twist off the line, catch some airtime and hold on tight. Sound like absolutely no fun? Then don’t show.
Presented by S&S Cycle
Featuring Paul Wideman & Jon Montgomery
Celebrate Harley-Davidson’s classic and reliable workhorse engine ever built at the Buffalo Chip’s Evo Entanglement Bike Show presented by S&S Cycle. During this show, the free-access CrossRoads at the Buffalo Chip will be packed to the edges with Dynas, Softails, FXRs, Sportys, touring bikes and even CVOs, all outfitted with these long-revered engines.
Do you stay connected to the Chip and your Chip family throughout the year? If so, then you’re invited to the Buffalo Chip’s annual Fan Fest party! Meet up with the friends you’ve made and enjoy ice-cold drinks, live music, gorgeous girls, wacky contests, and generous giveaways!
Does your hair make you go fast, steal your friend’s girl and not apologize because, welp, mullets are just that way? Do you like to live dangerously, laugh in the face of today’s hairstyle trends and crank up the metal and bang your head into oblivion? If so, then you may be a prime candidate to take home the grand championship at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip’s “Mullet Madness” Mullet Competition! Pay homage to one of the most misunderstood and unapologetically badass haircuts of all time and you could be walking away with 2 free memberships to Chip Fam Club!
Come be a part of the longest-running bike show in the world, now in its 51st year! The Rat’s Hole brings together an impressive crew of international judges and builders—one group vying for the titles, the other looking to find a bike with personality, function and a progressive sense of motorcycle culture. The show features 14 classes and awards 70 hand-sculpted trophies to its winners.
Ride into Full Throttle Magazine’s Official Rally Kickoff Show at the Buffalo Chip CrossRoads, and you could ride home a winner! This show, organized by Tony Cianci, welcomes all brands and awards trophies in 15 classes.
Sturgis Buffalo Chip Custom Series King Award - Handcrafted by Joe Mielke
The Best in Show winner from each show in the Buffalo Chip Custom Series will go on to compete against one another for the title of Custom Series King. All Best in Show winners will be invited onto the Buffalo Chip’s legendary Wolfman Jack Main Stage where celebrity judges will crown the winner of this prestigious award hand crafted by Joe Mielke of Snap Fabrications.
Cherry Pie Eating Contest - Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023
No one can deny that it’s fun to get pie-eyed at The Best Party Anywhere®, but it’s even more fun when you’re doing it for your chance to win free 2024 Rally Passes!
Are you a screamer? Do you moan and groan? Maybe you bite! Whatever your style, the Chip wants you to get on the stage to show us how you get off during Fan Fest for a chance at a pair of Fan VIP passes. We don’t care if you come alone or come with a friend. Just come!
Best Beard Contest Presented by Badass Beard Care - Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023
Calling all hairy, scruffy, bearded, and generally unkempt bikers! Strut your scruff and you could win big! The Best Beard Contest awards a pair of Top Shelf Passes plus prize packages from Badass Beard Care to the gentlemen (or ladies?) whose facial fuzz has the right recipe of ridiculous and just plain huge.
Fellas, this is your time to shine! Calling all hunks, studs, beefcakes and dad bods for the Hot Hunks Contest hosted by Hot 93.1! Demonstrate the right combination of manliness, moves and charisma, and you could be the next Buffalo Chip Hot Hunk! Win the title and prizes that’ll make you look hunkier than ever three Mint Speed Shop Flannels of your choice and a pair of Top Shelf Passes.
The Sturgis Buffalo Chip was established By Bikers, For Bikers™ in 1981. Since then we’ve been dedicated to bringing you a lineup of motorcycle events that gets bigger and better every year. Want to check out or relive some of the wild and wacky events from our 40-plus-year history? Well, this is the place to do it!
What are some of your favorite Buffalo Chip events? What kind of events would you like to see in the future? Let us know in the comments below!
“I never knew what a dream vacation was till I experienced the Chip back in 2005. That year and every year since after parting at the Chip, for months I’ll wake up in the middle of the night, sit up in bed and think I’m still in there during the Rally! Amazing place! Like nowhere else. Must do for anyone’s bucket list!” – Steven Glomb
