Laughlin River Run

Last updated
Laughlin River Run
Genre Motorcycle rally
DatesLast weekend in April
Location(s) Laughlin, Nevada, U.S.
Founded1983
Previous eventApril 25–29, 2019
Next eventTBA, [1] [2] deferred from 2020 [3]
Attendance70,000 (2005) [4]
Website laughlinriverrun.com

Laughlin River Run was an annual motorcycle rally held in Laughlin, Nevada. It was the largest gathering of bikes and bikers in the Western United States. [5] The event drew an estimated 70,000 motorcycle enthusiasts in 2005.

Contents

History

The river run was started in 1983 with 426 participants. [6] It was "conceived by Harley-Davidson dealer Dale Marschke, who wanted to bring his customers on a fun weekend ride." [7] The name comes from the fact that riders are riding out to the Colorado River, on which Laughlin sits. Other riders go across the river to Laughlin's sister city, Bullhead City, Arizona, Route 66 rides to Oatman, Arizona and Kingman, Arizona and also down to Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

The event featured several attractions and events, including live concerts, many motorcycle vendors, a poker run, drag races, bike show, Ms. Laughlin competition and charity events.[ citation needed ]

Accommodations are usually made at the various large hotels in Laughlin, however in recent years, campsites have also been utilized for RV's.

The 2002 rally was marred by the River Run Riot, a major brawl between rival motorcycle clubs (Hells Angels and Mongols) at Harrah's Laughlin that left three bikers dead, another 13 injured, and 9 bikers arrested. [8]

The Laughlin Nevada Times reported on January 14, 2020 that the promoter for the 2020 event has not responded to inquiries and its website appears to have been abandoned, and that the Laughlin Chamber of Commerce has removed the event from their calendars. [3] Since that year, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the river run to go on hiatus.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohave County, Arizona</span> County in Arizona, United States

Mohave County is in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, its population was 213,267. The county seat is Kingman, and the largest city is Lake Havasu City. It is the fifth largest county in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bullhead City, Arizona</span> City in Mohave County, Arizona

Bullhead City is a city located on the Colorado River in Mohave County, Arizona, United States, 97 miles (156 km) south of Las Vegas, Nevada, and directly across the Colorado River from Laughlin, Nevada, whose casinos and ancillary services supply much of the employment for Bullhead City. Bullhead City is located at the southern end of Lake Mohave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Valley, Arizona</span> CDP in Mohave County, Arizona

Golden Valley is an unincorporated area and census-designated place (CDP) in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. The population was 8,801 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingman, Arizona</span> City in Arizona, United States

Kingman is a city in, and the county seat of, Mohave County, Arizona, United States. It is named after Lewis Kingman, an engineer for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. It is located 105 miles (169 km) southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 180 miles (290 km) northwest of Arizona's state capital, Phoenix. The population was 32,689 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laughlin, Nevada</span> Unincorporated community in the state of Nevada, United States

Laughlin is an unincorporated community in Clark County, Nevada, United States. Laughlin lies 90 miles (140 km) south of Las Vegas, in the far southern tip of Nevada. As a resort town, it is known for its gaming and water recreation. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,658. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Laughlin as a census-designated place (CDP). It is located on the Colorado River, downstream from the Davis Dam and Lake Mohave, and directly across from the much larger Bullhead City, Arizona. The nearby communities of Bullhead City, Arizona; Needles, California; Fort Mohave, Arizona; and Mohave Valley, Arizona, bring the area's total population to about 100,000. Laughlin is also 286 miles (460 km) northeast of Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolling Thunder (organization)</span>

Rolling Thunder is a United States advocacy group that seeks to bring full accountability for prisoners of war (POWs) and missing in action (MIA) service members of all U.S. wars. The group's first demonstration was in 1988. It was incorporated in 1995, and has more than 90 chapters throughout the US, as well as overseas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron Butt Association</span> US-based organization dedicated to endurance motorcycle riding

The Iron Butt Association (IBA) is a US-based organization dedicated to safe long-distance motorcycle riding, which claims membership of over 75,000 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Nugget Laughlin</span> Casino hotel in Nevada, United States

The Golden Nugget Laughlin is a hotel and casino located on the banks of the Colorado River in Laughlin, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Landry's, Inc. It offers a number of restaurants, 300 guest rooms and suites, a casino floor, and meeting spaces. The Golden Nugget offers water taxi service from Bullhead City, Arizona, on the opposite side of the river.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sturgis Motorcycle Rally</span> Annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, U.S.

The Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is a motorcycle rally held annually in Sturgis, South Dakota, and the surrounding Black Hills region of the United States. It began in 1938 by a group of Indian Motorcycle riders and was originally held for stunts and races. Since then, the rally has become a pluralistic endeavor that consists of events put on by many different groups. Attendance has historically been around 500,000 people, reaching a high of over 700,000 in 2015. The event takes place over 10 days and generates around $800 million in annual revenue.

The River Run riot was a violent confrontation between the Hells Angels and Mongols motorcycle clubs that occurred on April 27, 2002, in Laughlin, Nevada during the Laughlin River Run.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laconia Motorcycle Week</span> Annual motorcycle rally held in New Hampshire, US

Laconia Motorcycle Week is an annual motorcycle rally held in Laconia, New Hampshire, United States. The rally originated as a motorcycle Gypsy tour in 1916 as, the New Hampshire Lakes Region became a popular riding destination for early motorcycle enthusiasts from New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Montreal. The popularity of the rally led to the formation of the Loudon Classic motorcycle race in 1934 which, became one of the most prestigious races in American motorcycle racing, second only to the Daytona 200. The scheduled events included races, shows and a motorcycle hill climb competition. The rally traditionally takes place over nine days in June, always the 2nd and 3rd full weekend. The rally was the largest annual gathering of North American motorcyclists until it was overtaken by the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally during the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long-distance motorcycle riding</span>

Long-distance riding is the activity of riding motorcycles over long distances, both competitively and as a pastime. A goal of long-distance riding is to explore one's endurance while riding a motorcycle, sometimes across several countries.

A motorcycle rally is a gathering of motorcycle enthusiasts. Rallies can be large or small, and one-time or recurring. Some rallies are ride-in events, whereas some like the Iron Butt Rally involve days of riding and an actual gathering only at the end of the ride.

<i>Sound Rider!</i>

Sound RIDER! began as a monthly online magazine about motorcycling in the Pacific Northwest. It was founded by publisher Tom Mehren in 1999. The magazine features editorial about people, places and events associated with motorcycling in the Northwest region. In addition it features used motorcycle listings, and a number of databases specific to dealers, services and clubs in the area. The editorial content is archived for viewing past its initial month of publication.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Royal British Legion Riders Branch</span>

The Royal British Legion Riders Branch (RBLR) was formed in 2004 as a branch of The Royal British Legion, a registered charity that supports past and present members of the Armed Forces. While its membership is dominated by former and current HM Armed Forces personnel, it also welcomes members who support the aims of the Royal British Legion charity, namely of helping and assisting service people, ex-service people and their dependants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Bike Week</span> Annual motorcycle rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Black Bike Week, also called Atlantic Beach Bikefest, Black Bikers Week, and The Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival, is an annual motorcycle rally in the Myrtle Beach, South Carolina area, held on Memorial Day weekend. Called a "one-of-a-kind event" and "an exhibitionist's paradise" by Jeffrey Gettleman, Black Bike Week is "all about riding, styling and profiling," in the words of Mayor Irene Armstrong of Atlantic Beach, South Carolina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buffalo Chip Campground</span>

The Buffalo Chip Campground is an event venue in Meade County, South Dakota, United States. The campground is a place for motorcycle enthusiasts and music festival visitors each year, and has been since its founding in 1981. Host to a 10-day Concert Series and thousands of motorcyclists each August during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the Buffalo Chip provides a music festival, various other forms of entertainment, and full service tent, RV and cabin camping on almost 600 acres in rural Meade County. The motorcycle and music festival also features entertainment including multiple disciplines of racing, exhibits, beauty pageants, dance performances, bike shows, world-record-breaking stunts, midget bowling, and military tributes.

The Hells Canyon Motorcycle Rally is an annual motorcycle rally at Hells Canyon that meets in Baker City in the state of Oregon, United States. It was started c. 2000 by Steve Folkestad and a brother.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wharf Rat Rally</span> Canadian motorcycle rally

The Digby Wharf Rat Rally is one of Canada's largest motorcycle rallies, attracting thousands of motorcycles, riders and other spectators to Digby, Nova Scotia. From August 31, to September 3, 2017 the Wharf Rat Rally had an overall attendance of more than 8,000 motorbikes and nearly 22,000 individual participants, including almost 17,000 out of town visitors.

References

  1. "Laughlin River Run". Bike Week Motorcycle Events.
  2. Laughlin River Run, Mohave County Economic Development Department, 2020, retrieved February 8, 2020
  3. 1 2 Wickham, Kane (Jan 14, 2020), "Running its course: There appear to be no plans for a 2020 Laughlin River Run", Laughlin Nevada Times
  4. "Crowds quiet at Laughlin.(23rd annual Laughlin River Run Motorcycle Rally)", Powersports Business, May 16, 2005, archived from the original on April 9, 2016
  5. "BIKES (LAUGHLIN) - 25th Anniversary Laughlin River Run Set for April 25-29, 2007" . Retrieved 2007-05-04.
  6. Bartlett, Jennifer (2007-04-25). "River Run roars into Laughlin". Kingman Daily Miner . Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2007-05-04.
  7. "Laughlin River Run, Laughlin, Nev". Travel Channel . Archived from the original on December 18, 2007. Retrieved 2013-02-25.
  8. Bach, Lisa (2002-04-28). "MOTORCYCLE GANG VIOLENCE: Laughlin event turns deadly". Las Vegas Review-Journal . Retrieved 2007-05-15.

35°08′30″N114°37′07″W / 35.1417°N 114.6186°W / 35.1417; -114.6186