Bob Rashkin, of Lake Worth, Florida, smokes a cigar as he prepares to roll out of Battlefield Harley-Davidson during Bike Week in 2007. This year, after the completion of several road projects that were worked on simultaneously last summer, the popular Parade of Chrome is to return as part of the event. (THE EVENING SUN FILE)




Can you hear it? Hundreds of motorcycles roaring through downtown Gettysburg.
One of Adams County's most popular, and loudest, parades is planned to return this summer.
The annual Parade of Chrome will again be held in July, according to organizers. The event was canceled last year after construction work made the roads dangerous for bikers.
"There was significant disappointment because a lot of people have made this into an annual event," said organizer Bernie Yannetti. "The businesses in town did not do nearly as good without it."
The parade returns as the highlight of the annual Gettysburg Bike Week, a four-day festival to celebrate all things leather and chrome. More than 30,000 visitors have attended in the past to shop at the vendor village and attend the rock concerts.
But last year, construction closed one lane on Steinwehr Avenue, one of the streets traditionally used in the parade route. Organizers attempted to reroute the parade but additional roadwork closed West Middle Street, further limiting alternate routes.
Similarly, the intersection of Steinwehr Avenue and Baltimore Street was uneven and could have made for dangerous riding conditions, said organizers.
"We ran into a problem last year that it was just physically impossible to conduct the parade because of all the road closures," Yannetti explained.
The projects have since been completed, the roads reopened, and this year will mark the 10th Parade of Chrome. The parade will enter Gettysburg from the south, traveling along Steinwehr Avenue, then onto Baltimore Street before leaving Gettysburg by way of West Middle Street.
A group of business owners along Steinwehr Avenue worked to ensure the parade occurred.
"There was certainly less (pedestrian) traffic through the area without the parade," said Carol Metzler, secretary treasurer of Gettysburg Tours Inc., located at 82 Steinwehr Ave. "If the parade is coming, I'm hoping things will pick back up."
The group of businesses, known as the Steinwehr Avenue Heart of Gettysburg Business Improvement District, will pay $1,000 for a parade permit, according to Yannetti. And some businesses are organizing biker-themed events and sales.
"With the parade back, you'll have a lot of area residents as well as tourists gathering," Metzler said. "After it goes by, they'll be looking around for a place for lunch or maybe some souvenirs or a battlefield tour."
The parade crowd means a significant increase in sales for many Steinwehr Avenue businesses, agreed Tammy Myers, general manager of the American Civil War Museum Complex, located at 297 Steinwehr Avenue.
"The consensus was that this parade was an economic boon and therefore we wanted to support the event," she said.
The Parade of Chrome will be held Saturday, July 14 and participants will assemble at 4 p.m. at the Eisenhower Inn & Conference Center, located south of Gettysburg at 2634 Emmitsburg Road. The parade will end at the 150-acre Granite Hill Camping Resort, located west of Gettysburg at 3340 Fairfield Road.
Bike Week will be held July 12 to 15 at the camping resort and this year will include motorcycle, tattoo and bikini contests. There will also be performances by the rock bands Kix, the Mustang Sally Band and a Bob Seger tribute band called Hollywood Nights.


tprudente@eveningsun.com; 717-637-3736, ext. 163

IF YOU GO


Gettysburg Bike Week will be held July 12 to 15 at the Granite Hill Camping Resort, located at 3340 Fairfield Road. Events will include motorcycle, bikini and tattoo contests, as well as a performance by the rock band Kix.
For a complete list of activities visit www.gettysburgbikeweek.com. For information about Granite Hill Camping Resort visit www.granitehillcampingresort.com.