(photo by Will van Overbeek)
If you thought nothing else could shut down Austin like South by Southwest, you’ve likely never been in town during the Republic of Texas Biker Rally—billed as the largest ticketed motorcycle rally in the nation with riders of all types drawn to the capital city for a weekend of camaraderie, camping, and concerts. For the 22nd annual event, the city will close off 54 square blocks as more than 200,000 people—and some 40,000 bikers—head to Congress Avenue June 8-11 for a huge kick-off party, during which an 11-mile parade downtown gets a friendly police escort (on motorcycles, no less). The ROT Rally will see its largest music festival yet with more than 30 bands slated to perform throughout the weekend, including Joe Ely, Billy Joe Shaver, and Ray Wylie Hubbard. Yeah, it’ll definitely be loud. But decked out in their denim and leather glory, these bikers are a pretty spectacular sight to see.
