Officials are expecting a smaller and quieter Sturgis Motorcycle Rally this year, one year after the 75th annual event attracted record crowds.
The 76th rally in western South Dakota’s Black Hills is August 8th-14th.
The biggest indicator of a potential big drop in attendance is an abundance of still-available motel rooms and campground spaces.
A record 739,000 people attended last year’s landmark event, up 67 percent from 2014.
Rally Director Jerry Cole says this year’s event is likely to be an average rally – but that would still mean half a million people.
Vendors have already started setting up shop.
AP
