Dubbed “the largest motorcycle event on the West Coast,” the annual Laughlin River Run returns to Southern Nevada today with new entertainment, festivities and plenty of security.
“This is by far our most impactful event of the year,” said M.J. Smith, executive director of the Laughlin Tourism Commission. “It’s something we put a lot of effort into making safe and exciting so people want to keep coming to Laughlin.”
The 34th annual motorcycle rally, which features casino parking lots with makeshift bars, live music, beauty contests and dozens of motorcycle routes near the Colorado River, is expected to bring 45,000 to 50,000 visitors, with as much as $50 million to the Laughlin economy, Smith said. The five-day event concludes Sunday.
Performers at this year’s festival include Creedence Clearwater Revisited and Bret Michaels. The annual festival will also host a “Miss Motorcycle Babe” beauty contest, open to female River Run participants.
“Just the comradery, our visitors have the chance to hang out with people who are very like-minded with the things they enjoy,” Smith said. “They love cruising on Route 66 with the wind in their hair, or biking through the Grand Canyon.”
Despite the fun, the event’s history hasn’t gone without incident. The River Run is infamous for a 2002 brawl between biker gangs, Hell’s Angels and the Mongols, which left three dead and nearly 20 injured after a violent confrontation at Harrah’s Casino & Hotel produced a series of stabbings and shootings.
Since then, the city has worked to ensure such an incident wouldn’t reoccur, Smith said. In 2013, Laughlin casinos decided unanimously to ban all biker “colors” or gang affiliation uniforms, and law enforcement security has been beefed up.
Last year, Metro Police reported a total of 35 arrests during the event. In total, 285 traffic citations were handed out over the duration, 189 of which were in Laughlin, police said.
Hundreds of officers and special units from Metro Police will be on hand for this week’s River Run, said Metro Officer Michael Rodriguez. Besides handling road closures, the force is aimed specifically at preventing motorcycle gangs from “taking over and fighting with one another.”
“A lot of people come from across the country and internationally for this event,” Rodriguez said. “They’re here for a fun experience, and we want them to enjoy it.”
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