CONWAY, S.C. (WMBF) – The Horry County Council voted in favor of moving the spring bike rally from May to July.
According to the agenda, a proposed resolution was introduced on Tuesday night that originally would have canceled all spring bike rally activities in the county in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s important to note that county leaders don’t have the authority to cancel the spring bike rally, but they can decide the appropriate time to issue special event permits for vendors.
So the original resolution would have prohibited vendors from receiving special event permits while limiting organized groups during the pandemic.
Some county leaders had felt because of the huge turnout during the spring bike rallies in years past, along with the coronavirus pandemic, it would be better to combine the spring and fall bike rallies.
But during the meeting, councilmembers voted to amend the proposed resolution and support Myrtle Beach Bike Week which is expected to run from Monday, July 13 through Sunday, July 19.
Horry County Councilman Johnny Vaught said leaders debated all sides before deciding to change the proposed resolution.
“Could we afford to police this because of our reduced income from accommodation taxes due to the pandemic? The other end of it was, do we want to continue to throttle our tourism industry by telling the bikers they couldn’t come? Basically, we decided it was better of for Horry County and to have the rallies go ahead,” Vaught said.
The action means that Horry County leaders will allow special events and temporary vending permits during that time period.
It’s a decision that Sonny Copeland, an organizer for Myrtle Beach Bike Week, is on board with.
“Myrtle Beach Bike Week has been around for decades. July may be a slow month for vacationers so they’re going to need all the people coming on vacation they can get. The hotels, the motels, the attractions. Everything on the Grand Strand and the coast,” said Copeland.
It’s also important to note that the spring bike rally happening in July is separate from an event being putting on by Myrtle Beach-Harley Davidson. The company said it is planning its own event later in July and is also looking forward to the fall bike rally.
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Source: WMBF News