Everyone with a motorcycle or a love of bikes is invited to attend the Thunder on the Plains rally Aug. 22 and 23 at Wright Park.
All day on Aug. 23, bike events will take place including a poker run, a bike parade, the People's Choice Bike Show and a casino night.
The public is invited to see the bikes at Wright Park and watch the parade, free of charge. There will also be various vendors in the park selling food, clothing and other merchandise.
"We would like any and all people to come down, not just people with motorcycles," said Dennis Bell, a member of the rally committee.
Those interested in entering their bikes in the show, participating in the banquet and casino night or the poker run can pre-register for the event before Friday.
For a $40 registration fee, participants will receive a T-shirt, pin, funny money for the casino games and a steak dinner. This also covers the cost to participate in the poker run, bike games, People's Choice Bike Show and banquet, awards and casino night. On-site registration on Aug. 22 costs $45 and includes all of the above.
Those who attend the event can also purchase a $25 raffle ticket for the chance to win an 18-foot "toyhauler." This deluxe trailer is ideal for hauling ATVs, snowmobiles, motorcycles and more. The inside of the trailer is finished with beds, a kitchen and a shower.
The poker run will begin at 9 a.m. Aug. 23 and take riders to five destinations throughout the area in search of a good poker hand. The person with the best hand will win a cash prize of $750. Second place will receive $250, provided by Kugler Electric, and third will win $100 from Nex-Tech in Hays.
For those who are not registered for the rally, one hand is $20 and each additional hand is $5.
People are welcome to enter any and all bikes in the People's Choice Bike Show, sponsored by Superior Fence of Southwestern Kansas, which will take place beginning at 11 a.m. at Wright Park.
The parade, which features several hundred motorcycles, will begin at 6 p.m. Aug. 23. The parade route will start in Wright Park, go north on Central Avenue to the U.S. Highway 50 bypass, turn west toward 14th Avenue and then return to Wyatt Earp Boulevard and the park.
Saturday evening will wrap up with a steak dinner, sponsored by National Beef. During the banquet, awards will be presented to winners of the day's events, including the bike show and poker run.
Casino night will begin, at 9 p.m., featuring an auction where people can buy items with their casino winnings.
"All the proceeds for this event, above the cost of the rally itself, will go to southwest Kansas servicemen and women and their families," Bell said.
Bell said more than $4,000 was distributed to Kansas troops last year.
Reach Cherise Forno at (620) 408-9931 or e-mail her at cherise.forno@dodgeglobe.com.
Thunder on the Plains schedule of events
Aug. 22
5-8 p.m. Registration open, Wright Park Pavilion.
8 p.m. Places in Dodge City are running specials for bikers.
Aug. 23
7-10 a.m. Biker breakfast, Northwest Elementary School.
8-10 a.m. Registration open, Wright Park Pavilion.
8 a.m.-6 p.m. Vendors, Wright Park.
9-10 a.m. Poker run check-in, Wright Park Pavilion
11 a.m.-2 p.m. People's Choice Bike Show, Wright Park.
1 p.m. Come back from poker run, Wright Park.
2:30-5 p.m. Bike games, Wright Park.
5:15 p.m. Blessing of the bikes, Wright Park.
5:30-5:45 p.m. Parade line-up, Wright Park.
6 p.m. Parade starts. 6:45 p.m. Steak dinner, Wright Park Pavilion.
8 p.m. Awards, Wright Park Pavilion.
9-11 p.m. Casino night, Wright Park Pavilion.
