Laconia Motorcycle Week 2021 Kicks Off This Weekend

In another sign of things getting back to where we want them, the Laconia Motorcycle Week has given the green light on its 2021 event. This year it’s back to the usual June time slot and the show will go on with a full slate of racing, scenic and charity rides, bike shows, live music, and more. After having to reschedule last year’s event and put strict safety protocols in place, the so-called “world’s oldest motorcycle rally” will kick off its 98th anniversary this Saturday, June 12, and for lots of riders eager to get out and enjoy the riding and rally season, it feels like a sigh of relief.

The best part is the schedule for all nine days of the rally looks packed. Kick off the week on Saturday, June 12, with the 15th Annual Peter Makris Memorial Ride to New Hampshire Motor Speedway to benefit the Easterseals NH Veterans Count Program, Laconia Fire Department’s Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), and the Building Dreams for Marines nonprofit program. Then it’s on to the AMA Gypsy Tour, again to NHMS, for the USCRA Vintage Races on Sunday, June 13, before segueing into Monday’s Life of a Ridetime to benefit families of fallen first-responders.

On Tuesday, the goodwill continues with a Ride to the Racetrack, so you can do laps around the NHMS road course, all while benefiting New England’s needy children.

Then, naturally, it’s back to NHMS for pro roadracing with the annual Loudon Classic, which should be on everybody’s must-see list; the full day of racing kicks off on Saturday, June 19. That’s just a small sampling of the organized events happening during the week; check out laconiamcweek.com/events for a complete list of other scheduled activities.

Whether you do the rides or not, it’s a good enough excuse to celebrate the event’s 98th birthday. Laconia was kickstarted back in June of 1916, when a few hundred motorcyclists gathered at Weirs Beach, and several years later, the American Motorcyclist Association recognized the event as part of the Gypsy Tour, where motorcyclists could celebrate races and hill climbs for an entire weekend. And 98 years later, you can still do the same.