The 83rd annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is bringing back open containers for the downtown Sturgis area.
The open container rule is a way to enhance the visitor experience during the rally by encouraging visitors to spend more time downtown Sturgis. While initially, the thought of having an open container was worrisome for the city council, after a case study comparison between the 2019 and 2021 Sturgis rallies, the council voted to have the open container available to the public.
This year, the Sturgis police department reminds people getting ready to attend the rally to make sure they read up on the rules regarding open containers.
“Sometimes people think it’s a free-for-all, but no, we have rules that have to be followed by everybody. So if they decide to partake in an alcoholic beverage, make sure it’s in an event cup, as they’re walking downtown and they’re within the boundaries. Just make sure everybody is educated on it to save the hassle of a negative interaction with law enforcement,” said Sturgis Police Department Chief of Police Geody Vandewater.
The city can stop the open containers if any issues with them arise. Most of the money raised from the special containers sold during the rally goes to Sturgis rally charities.