Lodging Options For Visitors During the Bikes, Blues, & BBQ Weekend
Harold Wilson holds a sign asking for support for the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Sept. 27 at the Bikes, Blues, & BBQ rally in Fayetteville. Photo by Natalie Demaree.
Harold Wilson drove from Conway, Arkansas, this past weekend hauling a small travel trailer that would be his home during the Bikes, Blues, & BBQ rally.
Wilson has been coming to BBB, the world’s largest charitable motorcycle rally, for 18 years in order to raise money for the Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
“I’m too tight to spend money for a motel,” he said.
This 10×4 travel trailer, with an etching of Willie Nelson’s face on the side, which Wilson built himself, has everything he needs for the weekend including a wire for cable TV, a heater and a battery, he said.
In a town of just over 80,000 people, finding a place to stay for the weekend of Bikes, Blues, and BBQ, which brings in several hundred thousands of people can be challenging and costly. The four day event brings includes musical performances, food and drinks, motorcycle shows, and much more.
Options on places to stay for bikers and vendors coming into town for the rally consist of hotels, Airbnb’s, RV and trailer parking spots, and camping. Some bikers prefer to stay in surrounding towns close enough to ride into Fayetteville for the day.
Pinkie Entwisle, a vendor from Witchata, Kansas, who has been coming for nine years, stays by herself in her trailer and feels very safe, she said.
“I’m not single, but I’m here by myself, and my husband wouldn’t let me come if he didn’t think I would be safe.” Entwisle said.
Officer Justin Belew, with the Johnson police department, said the BBB environment overall is secure.
“At any given time, there is probably, I would say, between 50 to 100 different officers that are down on the street in all the venues. That’s not counting Fayetteville Police Department that’s working.” Belew said.
Staying in a trailer is a safe and cost efficient option, especially for vendors, Entwisle said.
“Sometimes, the rallies aren’t as profitable as they had been in the past, or as profitable as you hoped, and if you’re staying in your trailer, that’s just one less expense for the vendor.” Entwisle said.
Still, others prefer to stay in a hotel.
Jimmy Sutton and his wife, who are from Tulsa, Oklahoma, stayed at a Hotel in Bentonville during this weekend.
This is the couple’s first time at the rally and it was very hard finding a hotel, Sutton said.
“We’re staying at The Choice Hotel in Bentonville because I had enough points,” Sutton said.
Sutton stays in hotels in the Northwest Arkansas area often for business trips. This is how he was able to gather points in order to get a hotel for the rally, he said.
BBB offers RV spots for sale at their NWA Riding Club location in Fayetteville, according to their Facebook. A list of hotels in Fayetteville can be found on the BBB website.
