MUSKEGON, Mich. — Muskegon's downtown is lined with motorcycles as two events — Bike Time at Hot Rod Harley-Davidson and Rebel Road along Western Avenue — bring riders, vendors, and live music to the city for the weekend.
WATCH: Western Avenue shuts down for Muskegon's Rebel Road motorcycle event; Bike Time returns for 20th year
Western Avenue is closed to regular traffic, with only motorcycles allowed on the road during the event.
"We do shut Western Avenue down, and it's only motorcycle traffic," Kyleen Gee, executive director of the Child Abuse Council of Muskegon County, said.
Rebel Road, which started in 2015, benefits the Child Abuse Council of Muskegon County. The organization has served the community for over 50 years and runs three main programs: a prevention program operating in every school in Muskegon County, teaching age-appropriate personal body safety, anti-bullying, internet awareness, and human trafficking awareness; CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocate, which trains community volunteers to advocate for children moving through the family court system; and the Children's Advocacy Center, which specializes in serving children who have been victims of sexual abuse through forensic interviews, forensic medical exams, counseling, and court preparation.
"Our mission is to protect children and families through education, prevention, advocacy, and community collaboration," Gee said.
The organization serves more than 17,000 children each year in Muskegon County, and its services are free.
"Every penny that is made here after we pay expenses goes back into serving those kids," Gee said. "We see every day how much and how many kids need these services, and to know that everybody is down here and supporting that cause while having a good time and hopefully a safe time, it's an honor."
Rebel Road draws some of the most impressive motorcycles to downtown Muskegon.
"These are top notch bikes that probably cost most more than my house that you're going to see down here," Gee said.
A few blocks over, at Hot Rod Harley-Davidson, Bike Time is marking its 20th year in Muskegon — a milestone dedicated to the dealership's owner, Dr. Mark Campbell.
"We miss him terribly, and he would be right here along with us right now, enjoying every minute of this. So, all for Doc this year," Troy Berean, inventory manager at Hot Rod Harley-Davidson, said.
Bike Time offers a full motorcycle rally experience for everyone, not just for bikers.
"Here at the dealership, you're going to get the motorcycle rally experience that you would at a dealership with vendors, the new and used motorcycles, the dealership itself is kind of a destination," Berean said.
One of the highlights of Bike Time is a free motorcycle giveaway held on the main stage Saturday night. The winner is drawn from tickets earned by purchases: 10 tickets for buying a new or used vehicle, and 1 ticket for every $100 spent on anything else.
The field was narrowed to the final 50 in early July. The winner will be announced Saturday, receiving a surprise motorcycle.
Bike Time has grown to attract riders from across the country.
"We ended up at 39 different states that we had met people from that had come here specifically for the bike time rally, so we're not Sturgis or Daytona, but we've got our eye on it, and that's where we're headed," Berean said.
Both Bike Time and Rebel Road run through Saturday.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
