Are you looking for a great weekend out on October the 8th and 9th? Harrison plays host to the Ride The Ozarks Rally, with fun guaranteed for all. The Northwest Arkansas State Fairgrounds in Harrison is where everything launches from – there’ll be a beer garden, vendors, guided rides and live music both days. The shows start at 7pm Friday 8th October and 5pm Saturday 9th October. Guided rides will depart from the fairgrounds both mornings, with the big draw (if you’ll excuse the pun) coming with the poker run, setting off at 10am Saturday.
The Ozarks, and the Boone county area in particular have long been a draw for motorcyclists from far and wide. The highlight of the Harrison region is the Ozark National Forest, which holds 66,000 acres of rushing rivers, deep woodland and unique, statuesque rock formations. If you’ve been to the Relay For Life Poker Run in Leachvillein previous years, you’ll have a good idea of what to expect. If not, here’s a quick guide.
A poker run is when folks running, on horseback or in this case on motorbikes, ride a route, stopping at checkpoints along the way to pick up a card. When you’ve done the run, you’ve got your cards and the best hand wins! The only real poker knowledge you need to have is how poker hands rank against each other. If you don’t play regularly for instance, you might not know which hand wins between a straight and a flush. A quick study of hands and their values, however, will have you fully prepared to recognize what you have…
The route takes in 110 miles of prime Ozark countryside, with all proceeds benefiting the United Way Of Ozark County, supporting local charities and using Arkansas dollars to support Arkansawyers. They’ve organized poker runs in 2017 and 2018, so this is far from the first rodeo, however the pandemic put a stop to more recent rides, like so many other events that have had to be cancelled in the past 18 months.
The Poker Run isn’t the only bike-related entertainment at the Fairgrounds on Saturday. There’ll also be the 6th Annual Ride The Ozarks Bike Show. If you want to register a bike, get there by 11am, there’s a $10 entry fee with all proceeds going to the Humane Society, and a free swag bag for the first 50 entrants. Judging is at 3pm and the awards presentation at 4pm, leaving you free for the live music starting at 5pm. If you’re more interested in spectating bikes than showing them or riding them, there’s a thrilling Globe of Death show, too.
So if you’re looking to be on your bike, admiring bikes, supporting local charities or simply enjoying some good eats, a few beers and some excellent live music at the Northwest Arkansas State Fairgrounds, make the trip across 412 to Harrison on the 8th and 9th. There’s complimentary shuttles from the Fairgrounds to local hotels both nights if you want to make the whole weekend of it. Oh, and the admission, and the concerts and the guided rides? That’s all free, too.
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