Motorcyclists from across the nation will come together September 22, 2024, for a scenic ride across Arkansas from Searcy through the Ozark Mountains to McAlester OK to honor Native American Indians as a part of the 5-day event. Now in its 31styear, the Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride® makes a five-day journey from Cherokee NC home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians to Seminole Oklahoma home of the SeminoleNation.
Riders will line up at La Quinta Inn in Searcy at 9:00am Monday the 23rd, and make a scenic trip through the Ozark Mountains to McAlester OK with a Stop at Cadron Settlement in Conway AR at 10am
On Saturday the 21st The Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride® begins at the Alabama/Tennessee state line off U. S. Highway 72 in Downtown Bridgeport with riders departing at 8 a.m. CST on Saturday, Sept.21. The ride travels U. S. Highway 72 West to I-565 West arriving at Redstone Harley-Davidson at approximately 10:30a.m. for an official rest and lunch stop. The public is invited towelcome riders while enjoying lunch and special entertainment. At 12p.m. riders will depart and head west through Florence arriving in Waterloo at approximately 2:00 p.m.
A kick-off rally offering children’s activities, live music, a street dance, fireworks show and other free family fun for the public to enjoy is scheduled in downtown Bridgeport on Friday, Sept. 20. Bikes will arrive from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indian Reservation at 3:00 p.m. and the official opening ceremony gets underway at 5:00 p.m. Music begins at 6 p.m. with Bottom Holler Band and slated to perform for the special 31st anniversary is Benny Carl and the Loose Lips Band from Nashville who will take the stage at 7:30 p.m. and again at 9:30 p.m. following the fireworks show.
The town of Waterloo will host a free Indian Festival September 20-22in remembrance of all those who walked the Trail of Tears. Presented by the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission, the three-day event offers live music on Saturday afternoon and night, flute and drum music and displays from Native American artisans and vendors. A River Walk Dedication Ceremony is scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. to honor those who experienced the forced journey with the grand entry slated for 1 p.m. and bikes arriving around 2:00 p.m.
The ride is held rain or shine. For more information on the Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride including a map of the routeand a schedule of events, https://trail-of-tears.webflow.io/the-ride/this-years-ride . Or like us on Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/Trailoftearsmotorcycle
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 called for the voluntary or forcible removal of all Indians from the eastern United States to the state of Oklahoma. In 1838, the U.S. government hired wagon master J.C.S. Hood to transport 1,070 Native Americans by foot and wagon from Ross’s Landing in Chattanooga, Tennessee to what is now Waterloo, Alabama. Much of the journey followed what is now U.S. Highway 72. Many Native Americans died in Waterloo and others escaped into the hills and today, area residents can trace their Native American ancestry to those who fled. As many as 4,000 deaths occurred because of this forced removal of civilized Native Americans from their rightful homes. In recognition of this removal process, the first Trail of Tears Motorcycle Ride was organized in 1994 with approximately 100 riders participating, and has grown to more that 10-15,000 riders each year!
A ride in from Cherokee NC will leave at 10am Friday the 20th from the Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds, and a Ride continuation to Seminole OK will leave from Spring Park in Tuscumbia at 8 am Sunday morning the 22nd.
