Last weekend, we talked to dozens of festivalgoers at Harley-Davidson’s 120th anniversary bash. From locals to travelers from as far away as Colombia, they shared what brought them to the celebration.
Jaime Bridges and Darryl LeFevre came from Indianapolis in a group of twelve, including Bridges’ parents, best friends and their Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) Chapter. LeFevre was excited to see his friend perform at the festival. “He plays in a band called Hairball – they’re an ’80’s tribute band,” he said. “It’s the camaraderie of Harley-Davidson, that’s why we’re here.”
Melvin Bridges is a Milwaukeean who spends his winters in Phoenix and summers here. His favorite part of the festival was the diversity, seeing people from all over the world come together.
Most of the folks we talked to were returning to the festival after attending previous years. That includes married couple Larry and Lisa Gardner from Woodstock, Ga., who returned to Milwaukee this year as part of the “Ride Home,” a cross-country Harley trip that ended in the city. “The best part is seeing so many different people from so many different places in the United States and different counties and getting to develop friendships along the way,” Lisa said.
Father and daughter, Mario Montoya and Vanessa Gardner (no relation to Larry and Lisa), came to Milwaukee from Atlanta with a friend from Colombia, South America. Montoya’s first Homecoming celebration was five years ago – this was Vanessa’s first time. “The community part of it is that people are always looking out for each other and you can always count on people to have your back.” Vanessa said.
Kim and Keith Calman, from Cleveland, were returning festivalgoers. Outside of Harley-Davidson, they also love visiting Brady Street on each visit. “We’re avid Harley riders so we’re just here to enjoy,” Kim said.
Wes Orloff, a 24-year employee with Harley-Davidson, volunteered at the festival, where he talked with visitors about the bikes on display. This year, he was most excited to see the Foo Fighters perform. “As a volunteer here, just meeting all these incredible people from all over the world,” Orloff says, “I talked to some people from Japan and Korea today already, and it’s just been amazing.”
