September 18 – The 31st annual Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride, honoring Native American heritage, will travel through northern Alabama, western Tennessee and central Arkansas into Oklahoma next week.
Bikers from across the country will gather on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 for a scenic ride through Oklahoma, from McAlester to Seminole, honoring Native Americans as part of the five-day event.
Now in its 31st year, the Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride is a five-day trek from Cherokee NC, home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, to Seminole, home of the Seminole Nation.
Riders will gather at The Hampton Inn Mcalester at 9 a.m. Tuesday and take a scenic ride into the homeland of the Seminole Nation to be welcomed by Chief Johnson. The public is invited to welcome the riders.
On Saturday, the Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride begins at the Alabama-Tennessee border on U.S. Highway 72 in downtown Bridgeport, Alabama. Riders will depart at 8 a.m. They will travel along U.S. Highway 72 West to Interstate 565 West, arriving at Redstone Harley-Davidson, west of Madison, Alabama, for an official rest and lunch stop around 10:30 a.m.
On Friday, September 20, a grand opening event will be held in downtown Bridgeport with children’s activities, live music, a street dance, fireworks show and other free family activities for the public to enjoy.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian Reservation bicycles will arrive at 3:00 p.m. and the official opening ceremony will begin at 5:00 p.m. Music will begin at 6:00 p.m. with the Bottom Holler Band. Benny Carl and the Loose Lips Band from Nashville will perform in honor of the special 31st anniversary. They will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. and again at 9:30 p.m. after the fireworks.
The city of Waterloo, Alabama, is hosting a free Indian Festival, September 20-22, to honor those who walked the Trail of Tears. Presented by the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission, the three-day event will feature live music on Saturday afternoon and evening, flute and drum music, and displays by Native American artists and vendors. A River Walk Dedication Ceremony is scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. to honor those who experienced the forced march, with the grand entrance scheduled for 1 p.m. and bicycles arriving around 2 p.m.
On Sunday they will leave Tuscumbia, Alabama, and drive via Memphis, Tennessee, to Searcy, Arkansas, before leaving Searcy on Monday morning and arriving in McAlester, Oklahoma.
The first Trail of Tears Motorcycle Ride was organized in 1994 with about 100 participants. Now there are more than 10,000-15,000 participants annually.
The ride will take place rain or shine. For more information about the Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride, including a map of the route and a schedule of events, visit https://trail-of-tears.webflow.io/the-ride/this-years-ride. Or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Trailoftearsmotorcycle.
