Full Throttle: The Annual Cherokee Blue Ridge Run Returns September 7-9

(Photo by Fabian Crowe) 

The annual Cherokee Blue Ridge Run returns to the Cherokee Fair Grounds on September 7–9, with a jam-packed lineup that promises lots of “motorcycles, music, and cool stuff!” This three-day festival includes concerts, bike shows, stunt shows, artists, vendors, flat track, bike games, factory demo rides, tours, food trucks, and more. Musical headliners include Molly Hatchet on Friday night, Vince Neil on Saturday, and Phuncle Sam on Sunday. (Scroll down for the full music schedule.) Day passes for Friday and Saturday are $15, Sunday passes are $10,  and weekend passes are $30. Kids 16 and under get in for free!

Thrilling Acts

Some of the thrilling acts you can catch during the show include The Wall of Death, a live action show featuring a motor drome—a silo-shaped wooden cylinder 30 feet in diameter. Inside the drome motorcycle, daredevils travel along the vertical wall performing trick, fancy, and acrobatic riding. The show features antique Indian and Harley-Davidson motorcycles along with handbuilt 4-wheeled racing machines. Nothing compares to seeing the show in person at the top of the 14-foot board wall, where you can feel the wind as the motorcycles race just inches from you!

Circus Una, the world's only all-female, wheelie-popping, motorcycle trapeze, high-wire thrill show returns this year to wow the crowd with their family-friendly circus acts. As a special memento, get your picture taken with the performers after the show.

See the Country’s Top Custom Bikes

The Cherokee Blue Ridge Run is this year’s sponsor of the USA’s qualifying round of the AMD (American Motorcycle Dealer) show featuring the country’s top custom bikes on display. The makers will compete for prize money, trophies, and a paid trip to a place in the World Championship finals held in Germany.

For those interested in learning more about the art and craft of motorcycles, a “Grease and Gears” garage show sponsored by The Cycle Source motorcycle magazine will highlight the builders and showcase innovative products in a live, hands-on learning experience.

Champion Riders

Also returning this year is champion freestyle motorcycle athlete and performer Chris "Teach" McNeil. Teach, who gets his moniker from being a Latin teacher, has been traveling the globe for more than ten years performing his signature gravity-defying stunts.

Another outstanding rider, Adam Holbrook, will be featured at the Cherokee Blue Ridge Run this year. Adam is one of the nation's elite motorcyclists and the youngest motorcycle showman of this kind in the country. His act showcases amazing talents of balance, throttle-control, mental precision, and daring.

Jay Allen Emcees

The festival will be emceed by Jay Allen, a popular icon in the motorcycle world and the founder of the beloved Broken Spoke Saloon and Museum. Jay is a pioneer in the art of interactive motorcycle entertainment and brings his signature brand of high-energy fun to the event. As anyone knows who has seen him before, Jay brings the party and welcomes all who love to ride to celebrate motorcycle culture.

Schedule of Musical Entertainment

Friday

10 a.m. - Plywood’s Band of Gypsies

12:30 p.m. - Hypersona

3:30 p.m. - Jasmine Cain

5:30 p.m. - Preacher Stone

8 p.m. - Blackfoot

10 p.m. - Molly Hatchet

Saturday

10 a.m. - Partin Ways

12:30 p.m. - Hypersona

3:30 p.m. - Cash Unchained

5:30 p.m. - Michael Allman

8 p.m. - Jasmine Cain

10 p.m.  - Vince Neil

Sunday

12:30 p.m. - Stone Senate

3:30 p.m. - Phuncle Sam

Want to Go?

Where: Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds, 545 Tsali Blvd., Cherokee, NC 28719

When: Friday, September 7 - Sunday, September 9

Hours: 10 a.m. - midnight, Friday, September 7, and Saturday, September 8; 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday, September 9

Admission: $15 day passes for Saturday and Sunday; $10 for Sunday; $30 weekend passes

More Info: Visit www.blueridgerun.com; Contact: Kim Deas at 828.359.6707