Spending the evening with a bunch of friends, food and live music is a great way to spend a Friday. Several bikers throughout the community gathered at the Harley-Davidson of Valparaiso for their traditional bike night on Friday, June 21.
This was the first of three bike nights over the next few months. Jeff Haggerty, general manager for Harley-Davidson of Valparaiso, shares that there’s a hefty schedule of activities to provide fun for the attendees.
“We've got our beer garden, food and a band performing tonight,” Haggerty said. “Bikers can come look at motorcycles and may get ideas on how they want to customize their own. This is one of our many ways that we try to bring the whole motorcycle community together and give them something fun to do.”
Focusing on engaging the community is always a top priority for Harley-Davidson of Valparaiso. Haggerty considers bike night to be a great way to encourage family fun.
“It’s super important for us to make sure everybody has a good time,” Haggerty said. “We love to see people come out and get the image across that we have a great community. We’re always trying to create a family friendly atmosphere for them.”
One rider who was looking forward to this event was Zach Howise. As an experienced rider, Howise cherishes the opportunity to not only meet new people in the community but also to see the uniqueness of each bike.
“This is a pretty sweet event,” Howise said. “I love to check out all the bikes that everyone brings in. Harley-Davidson always does a great job with putting these events together. I’ve been riding for about 10 years and I’ve never been disappointed.”
Another attendee that’s no stranger to Harley-Davidson’s events is Colton Wills. Over the past six years of riding, Wills has noted how impressive and appreciative he is for Harley-Davidson to orchestrate events that are geared toward the biker community.
“It’s always a great turnout,” Wills said. “I’ve been to some of the car shows and it’s pretty crazy how they’re able to get everyone to come in one night. Today is a beautiful day for some beautiful bikes as well.”
A large component in making these events a success for Harley-Davidson is their collaboration with various groups and sponsors.
“We couldn’t do it without them,” Haggerty said. “Our sponsors are the biggest key in making free events like this happen. It’s crucial for us to bring people in so they can meet new faces. These events are always pretty awesome.”
The food and beer garden were provided by Leroy’s. Live music was performed by the Head Honchos. The other Friday bike night events will take place on July 26 and August 30.
Harley-Davidson’s weekend slate will continue on Saturday, June 22, when they host their second Impact Ride. Registration for the event will begin at 10 a.m. and the festivities will last until 5 p.m. Leroy’s will be providing the beer garden for this event as well.
For more information on Harley-Davidson of Valparaiso, you can visit their website.
