Warrensburg Bike Week: ‘A whole different beast’

When a continuous stream of motorcycles rumble through town, chrome sparkling in the sun, and the smell of leather goods drifts across Main Street from open-air stalls, Warrensburg residents know June has arrived and it is Bike Week.

Warrensburg Bike Week is not an event but an alliance of local businesses, vendors, not-for-profits and residents in this Adirondack hamlet that steps out each June to welcome the thousands of bikers that pass through this “Gateway to the Adirondacks”  while attending the region’s bike rallies.

Warrensburg Bike Week is not to be confused with the for-profit organizations Warrensburg Bike Rally and Americade touring rally; nor is Warrensburg Bike Week a rival to these bike gatherings. “We’re a whole different beast,” explains Warrensburg businessman Don Bagwell, “it’s about promoting the community and supporting local charities.” Bagwell owns Sprucemtsurplus.com, a military surplus business in Warrensburg.

The Adirondacks have always been a destination for bikers, according to Bagwell. U.S. and Canadian bikers ride the scenic roads of the Adirondack Park on route to the Laconia, New Hampshire rally held in mid-June. Warrensburg’s Main Street connects The Adirondack Northway (I 87), to State Route 28, a primary artery into the heart of the Adirondacks.

The streets of Warrensburg have always filled with an overflow crowd from the Americade rally held in Lake George, six miles south. Several years ago Bagwell created the Warrensburg Bike Week website to provide information on lodging, dining, services and attractions in town for visiting bikers. Warrensburg amenities are affordable, claims Bagwell, there is no admission fee and parking is always free.

Much of Bike Week focuses on the not-for-profits in town. In past years, according to Bagwell, the North Country Ministries, a faith-based organization that provides for those in need, has fundraised during Bike Week. One year bikers participated in a poker run to raise money for a cancer charity. This year the North Country Hardship Fund, Inc. is selling raffle tickets for a Harley Super Glide to raise funds for their organization. Raffle tickets  may be purchased at the 3911 Main Street vendor site next to Adirondack Physical Therapy.

The Town of Warrensburg issues Transient Merchants licenses for each vendor but Warrensburg Bike Week does not fall under the classification of Major Local Event which has its own separate set of legal codes. “We love Bike Week,” says Town Clerk Donna Combs, “but the town is not involved.”  Vendors rent space directly from property owners or their representatives.

Several dozen vendors selling bike wear and gear are expected this year. Traffic through the hamlet moves slower than usual, primarily to accommodate bikers backing into parking spots along Main Street. The week is generally incident free; Bagwell notes that the Warren County Sheriff’s Department has not found the need to add additional patrols.

Most of the action takes place on the North end of Main Street, just past the bandstand that marks Warrensburg’s center.