University of Arkansas Fayetteville - Razorback Yearbook (Fayetteville, AR)

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20 I STUDENT LIFE BELOW: Lining the street of Dickson, motorcycles fill the air with the smell of another successful festival. Bikes, Blues BBQ was a profitable week. RIGHT: Filling the streets of Fayetteville with the sweet smell of funnel cakes, vendors tempt passersby. Thousands of bikers came to celebrate the 10th annual Bikes, Blues 8c BBQ on Sept. 23-26, 2009. FAR RIGHT: Zooming down the road, bikers keep the tradition alive. Each year over 400,000 bikers rode into Fayetteville for good food, music and fun. roaring down dir.kson street THE 10TH ANNUAL BIKES, BLUES BBQ FESTIVAL ATTRACTS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FROM ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY

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l»i 6. ' M.:Cupfcy enior, Political Science Mandarin Chinese I vvork at FHS as the Assistant Service-Learning Coordinator. My students volunteer at the Wood Street Head Start. They have a lo t of land that they are not us n g-1 wanted to give my students something interesting and enjoyable to do. It was a no-brainer. It is very important to garden because first of all, it saves money, and all non-profits need money really bad. Secondly, when you grow an 01 ganic garden, then you know where the food comes from. You know that the earth was not poisoned and that there are not foreign chemicals in the food. But, most importantly, children should have a healthy diet, they don’t get enough V e § eta bles, and there is an obesity epidemic and people are dying at young ages because of this. Two weeks ago I had to study for two tests and I was stressed. I dug a huge hole and planted a blueberrjdwsh ihstea f studying. It felt so good, an d | fe°t really good grades on my test T ' V f

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STEPHEN BOWLES: “I JUST THINK IT’S AWESOME THAT OF ALL THE PLACES FOR THESE GUYS AND GIRLS TO SHOW UP, THEY CHOOSE FAYETTEVILLE, ARK.” The sun came glaring down upon the salty smoked turkey leg as Stephen Bowles sat on a bench with grease circled around his lips. He enjoyed his hearty $6 purchase to the sound of endless free music amid the camaraderie of the 10th annual “Bikes, Blues and BBQ” event held in Fayetteville. Endless rows of motorcycles flowed through Dickson Street, and powerful tailpipes emitted continual, thunderous rumbles as Fayetteville became a motorcycle Mecca, starting Sept. 23 and continuing through the 26th. “I thought Bikes, Blues and BBQ was great. I loved it,” Bowles, sophomore political science major, said. “It’s cool seeing people from all over the area and nearby states. All of the money that gets brought into Dickson is amazing. It is truly unlike any other week of the year by far. I bought some shirts and bandanas. I just walked over with some of my fraternity friends and had a great time.” Whether it was the sale of food, drinks, clothes, hotel rooms or music tickets, “Bikes, Blues and BBQ” continued to be one of the most profitable weeks of the year for Fayetteville, as it was the largest non-profit bike rally in the world. Dickson Street transformed itself overnight to host the influx of new occupants hustling into the city, as tents and vending booths sprung up along the length of the street. It was certainly something different,” Chris Pitcairn, junior industrial engineering major, said. I was stationed there on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday nights for SAKE’s [Students Acquiring Knowledge through Enterprise] booth. It brings in over 400,000 something bikers every year. It’s great to see the different lifestyles and backgrounds of people from all over the country. Besides, the food was really good, too.” Bowles also took advantage of the opportunity to make new acquaintances. “t met and chatted with many guys just walking down the street,” he said. “One guy’s son is even considering coming to school here at Arkansas, so he talked with me about freshman year and all of that. That was pretty cool.” Following in the footsteps of the Allman Brothers Band, which performed last year, the entertainment did not disappoint. With the purchase of only a $10 ticket, the bikers enjoyed the musical styling of Molly Hatchet and Blackfoot on Thursday night and of the Marshall Tucker Band on Friday night, the finale for the ‘blues’ portion of the week, which was held at the Arkansas Music Pavilion. The event certainly served to bring diverse people together. Although some of the bikers’ attire may have been considered slightly odd in terms of fashion chic, Bowles maintained that bikers were just regular guys and girls out having a good time. “I think they think I’m weird. They are definitely different, but everyone I met was really nice. I didn’t encounter any ‘mean’ bikers, per se,” he said. Perhaps the best part of “Bikes, Blues and BBQ” was that it occurred so close to the UA. “I just think it’s awesome that of all the places for these guys and girls to show up, they choose Fayetteville, Ark.,” Bowles said. “That’s really neat. I just love the entire atmosphere behind it and I hope ‘Bikes, Blues and BBQ’ continues to grow and get better each year. I’m already looking forward to 2010.” STORY: CLINT LINDER IMAGES: DIVESH BRAHMBHATT, JEREMY STOUT GRACE GUDE BIKES, BLUES BBQ